Whole Body PET Scan (FDG) - Test, Procedure & Cost

In case of a PET scan, you would be given injection in small amount of a short-acting radioactive liquid, also called as a tracer. Most commonly used is the FDG (fluorodeoxyglucose).

The FDG is considered to be a simple sugar i.e. glucose which is radiolabelled, and the ability to provide energy in the body, this will be further sensed by the scanner.

Entire PET scan has a process that takes about two hours. It would take approximately 60 minutes for the body to absorb your injected radiotracer.

During this time, you would be required to sit quietly and also limit any movements. An actual PET scan usually takes about 30 minutes.

You would not experience significant side effects post the PET scan and you would also be taken home the very same day of the scan.

These results of the scan would usually be available the very next day after your scan at Ganesh Diagnostic and Imaging Center.

Do not eat or drink anything, except for water, for at least 6 hours before exam. You can drink water, and drinking more water would be even until the late arrival.

The PET scan usually causes no pain. The table for the test is either hard or cold, but you could also request a blanket or a pillow.

There is no particular recovery time required, unless you had been given any medicine to relax further.

It is amongst a few imaging tools for which some limits have been imposed— currently, there are about three follow-up PET scans per individual, even when the doctors have only ordered them after detecting an anomaly on computed tomography (CT) scan.

It is seen that drinking plenty of the fluid post scan would help in flushing the radioactive material from the body.

As a precautionary measure, you are also advised to avoid any prolonged close contact with any pregnant women, with any babies or any young children for at least few hours after the PET scan, as one might be slightly radioactive during this period of time.

An effective dose from the PET scan is considered to be modest and it also depends on activity of your injected FDG (i.e. 18F-Fluoro deoxyglucose) this is usually 8 mSv for the adults and using the 400 MBq, this remains the same whether it is part of body or incase the whole body is imaged.

After Scan

Drinking lot of water might help your radioactive material to leave the body quicker.

If you consumed a sedative to relax during this procedure, you would need to have another individual someone drive you home and stay with you afterwards.

18F-Fluorodeoxy glucose positron emission tomography?computed tomography (18F-FDG-PET) is the one that detects the malignant lymph nodes of even normal size, thus, overcoming one of major limitations of the CT.