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Patient Preparation
The patient must have nothing
to eat or drink for at least 4 hours prior to the test. Recent meals,
as well as prolonged fasting (>24 hours) may result in false-positive
results. Opiate medications (such as morphine, Demerol, and codeine)
may also result in false-positive results. Avoid the presence of
barium in the abdomen.
Exam Procedure
After the
radioactive tracer injection (into a vein in the arm), the patient
lies on their back on the imaging table and continuous images
of the abdominal area are taken for one hour. Additional images
may be required for up to 4 hours. Hepatobiliary imaging may
also include pharmacologic intervention with a drug called cholecystokinin
(CCK) to assess gallbladder contractility.
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