Answer to Question #10030 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"

Category: Nuclear Medicine Patient Issues — Diagnostic Nuclear Medicine

The following question was answered by an expert in the appropriate field:

Q
My husband had a bone scan with an injection. If he needs to have a repeat scan, how long must he wait before he has it?
A
There is usually no "set" waiting period between scans. Depending on what the physicians are looking for, they would usually wait for a patient to have new symptoms or other medical issues to order a repeat exam. The radioactive injection for a bone scan has a short half-life and is eliminated from the body fairly rapidly after the injection.

Marcia Hartman, MS
Answer posted on 12 January 2012. The information posted on this web page is intended as general reference information only. Specific facts and circumstances may affect the applicability of concepts, materials, and information described herein. The information provided is not a substitute for professional advice and should not be relied upon in the absence of such professional advice. To the best of our knowledge, answers are correct at the time they are posted. Be advised that over time, requirements could change, new data could be made available, and Internet links could change, affecting the correctness of the answers. Answers are the professional opinions of the expert responding to each question; they do not necessarily represent the position of the Health Physics Society.