Prepare for your Exam
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
- Arrive 20 minutes prior to their appointment time, in order to complete registration and to reduce any possible delays.
- Please bring your insurance information, picture ID, and the order or prescription from your doctor on the day of your exam.
- Wear loose comfortable clothes without zippers, or buttons to your appointment.
NO METAL ALLOWED IN THE MRI SUITE. Patients aren’t allowed to have MRI exams if they have: pacemakers, defibrillators, neurostimulators, or aneurysm clips in the head.
Due to safety concerns, you will be asked to change into a hospital gown provided to you by our facility.
Notify our staff if you have ever had shrapnel in your body, or ever worked with metal and have a possibility of a metallic foreign object in the body or eye. If there are any concerns of metal fragments, you may be asked to arrive early to your appointment to have an X-Ray that will detect any metal objects and assess the risk of the MRI.
Exams times typically takes 20-60 minutes. During this time you will be asked to lie very still. Music headphones are available during your exam.
Claustrophobic patients: Our extra spacious (large opening) MRI rivals open MRIs for patient satisfaction. If you still have concerns, you may ask your doctor to prescribe you something to ease your worries. Medicated patients must have a driver accompanying them to their appointment.
Since metal objects affect the quality of the CT images, you may be asked to remove bobby pins, jewelry, glasses, hearing aids, and removable dental work depending on the part of the body that is being scanned. Avoid clothes with zippers and snaps. A CT scan typically takes about 5 minutes for the actual scan time, but dressing, positioning and exam preparation may take up to 45 minutes.
Our Radiologist may ask for you to receive an IV injection of contrast material (a substance that highlights the area of interest and blood vessels and makes abnormalities easier to see). If you have had an allergic reaction to iodine dye in the past, please call our office prior to your examination.
The radiologist should be informed if you have asthma, multiple myeloma or any disorder of the heart, kidneys or thyroid gland, or if you have diabetes - particularly if you are taking Glucophage (Metformin).
You may take any prescription medications as usual unless otherwise instructed.
Please notify the staff at our office if you might be pregnant.
PELVIS, PREGNANCY, BLADDER + KIDNEYS: Drink 24oz glasses of water at 45 minutes prior to your exam, and DO NOT EMPTY BLADDER.
KIDNEYS: Drink 32oz of water 45 minutes prior to your exam, and DO NOT EMPTY BLADDER.
ABDOMEN: Nothing to eat/drink 6 hours prior to exam.
No powders, perfumes or deodorants on breast or underarm areas after a morning shower on the day of your exam.
Avoid mammography exams immediately prior to your menstruation cycle if possible, the exam may be more painful
during this time.
Barium Enema: Prep kit to be picked up 3-4 days prior to procedure and follow directions given with the bowel cleansing kit. Patients with colostomy bags should bring an extra colostomy bag with them to their appointment. Nothing to eat/drink 6 hours prior to exam.
Esophagram/Barium Swallow: Nothing to eat/drink 6 hours prior to exam.
Small Bowel Series: Nothing to eat/drink as of midnight prior to your exam.
Upper GI Series: Nothing to eat or drink after midnight prior to exam. You are able to take medications with a sip of water. (If exam is for bottle fed infant, you must bring infant hungry with an empty bottle to drink the prep)
Arthrogram: No blood thinners 5 days prior to exam. No aspirin 3 days prior to exam. If you are having a MRI following your Arthrogram, please refer to MRI preparations.
Myelogram: No blood thinners 5 days prior to exam. No aspirin 3 days prior to exam. Nothing to eat/drink 6 hours prior. You are required to have a driver. You will be required to stay at Precision Imaging approximately 2-4 hours after your exam. If you are having a CT following your Myelogram, please refer to CT preparations.
Hip Injection: No blood thinners or aspirin 2 days prior to exam.
Intravenous Pyelogram (IVP): Nothing to eat/drink 6 hours prior to exam.