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Risks
By Mayo Clinic staffA HIDA scan carries few risks. Risks may include:
- Allergic reaction to medications containing radioactive tracers used for the scan
- Bruising at the injection site
- Rash
Tell your doctor if there's a chance you could be pregnant or if you're breast-feeding. In most cases nuclear medicine tests, such as the HIDA scan, aren't performed in pregnant women because of potential harm to the fetus.
Risks of radiation
The amount of radioactive tracer injected into your arm during a HIDA scan is very small. The radioactive tracer gives off radiation for several hours and then becomes inactive. The gamma camera that takes images of your liver, gallbladder, bile duct and small intestine during a HIDA scan doesn't give off any radiation. If you're concerned about the amount of radiation you'll be exposed to during a HIDA scan, talk with your doctor.
- Tulchinsky M, et al. SNM practice guideline for hepatobiliary scintigraphy 4.0. Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology. 2010;38:210.
- General nuclear medicine. RadiologyInfo.org. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=gennuclear&bhcp=1. Accessed Sept. 14, 2010.
- Practice guideline for the performance of adult and pediatric hepatobiliary scintigraphy. Reston, Va.: American College of Radiology. http://www.acr.org/SecondaryMainMenuCategories/quality_safety/guidelines/nuc_med/hepatobiliary_scintigraphy.aspx. Accessed Sept. 14, 2010.
- Lambie H, et al. Tc99m-hepatobiliary iminodiacetic acid (HIDA) scintigraphy in clinical practice. Clinical Radiology. 2011;66:1094.
- Hoekstra L, et al. Physiological and biochemical basis of clinical liver function tests. Annals of Surgery. 2013;257:27.
- Nathan MA. (Expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. April 12, 2013.
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