Any time a doctor sends you for diagnostic testing, it can be scary. However, the medical professionals who operate PET scan imaging machines are highly qualified and trained to provide the highest level of care, while obtaining the information your physician needs to diagnose and treat patients.
What Is a PET Scan?
The acronym PET stands for positron emission tomography. It’s a unique way of looking at the cells of the body to see if there’s any disease present like cancer. The technicians at the medical imaging center administer a special dye directly into the body, such as through an injection or intravenously. Because of the stain, specific changes in the body, if present, show up more clearly on the recorded image. These help the doctor make a diagnosis after reviewing the PET scan results in Burbank, CA.
What Happens After the PET Scan?
The PET scan results are generally available to your doctor within a few days. After your doctor has a chance to review the images, he or she will go over them with you at a follow-up appointment. In the meantime, the dye will take a few days to be excreted from your body; drinking plenty of water can help with this. PET scan results in Burbank, CA, are usually reviewed first by a radiologist. Then they are sent to your doctor, who will diagnose a condition if there is one present.
How to Have a Positive Test Experience
The best way to ensure you have a positive experience in obtaining PET scan results in Burbank, CA, is to follow the instructions from your healthcare provider and the medical imaging technologists as closely as possible. You may have specific dietary restrictions given to you a day or two before the test, or, you may be asked to drink a minimum number of glasses of water on the day of the test. The technologists may ask you to position yourself a certain way or hold still at some point. As stressed or worried as you might feel about the test, it’s essential to adhere to what’s asked of you, so the diagnostic images are bright enough to be useful to your doctor.
Visit Glendale MRI for more answers to questions about PET scans results.
