RBC nuclear scan

The procedure for this test may vary a little. This depends on the reason for the scan. The RBCs are tagged with radioisotope in 1 of 2 ways. The first method involves removing blood from a vein. The red blood cells are separated from the rest of the blood sample. The cells are then mixed with the radioactive…

You will need to sign a consent form. You put on a hospital gown and take off jewelry or metallic objects before the scan.

You may feel a little pain when the needle is inserted to draw blood or to give the injection. Afterward, there may be some throbbing. The radioactive material is painless. Some people may have discomfort from lying on the hard table.

This test is most often done to find the site of bleeding. It is done in people who have blood loss from the colon or other parts of the gastrointestinal tract. A similar test called a ventriculogram may be done to check heart function.

A normal exam shows no rapid bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract.

There is active bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract.

Slight risks from having blood drawn include: Fainting or feeling lightheaded Hematoma (blood accumulating under the skin) Infection (a slight risk any time the skin is broken) Very rarely, a person may have an allergic reaction to the radioisotope. This may include anaphylaxis if the person is very sensitive to the…

Scans may need to be repeated over 1 or 2 days to detect gastrointestinal bleeding .

Bezobchuk S, Gralnek IM. Middle gastrointestinal bleeding. In: Chandrasekhara V, Elmunzer J, Khashab MA, Muthusamy VR, eds. Clinical Gastrointestinal Endoscopy . 3rd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019:chap 17. Chiang KJ, Saillant NN, Hodin R, Acute gastrointestinal hemorrhage. In: Townsend CM Jr, Beauchamp RD, Evers…