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Risks
By Mayo Clinic staffA HIDA scan carries few risks. Risks may include:
- Allergic reaction to medications used to enhance 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. Women who are breast-feeding may need to stop for a few days after the HIDA scan.
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 pictures 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.
- The SNM procedure guideline for hepatobiliary scintigraphy 4.0. Reston, Va.: Society of Nuclear Medicine. http://interactive.snm.org/docs/Hepatobiliary_Scintigraphy_V4.0.pdf. Accessed Sept. 14, 2010.
- 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.
- Segerman D, et al. Radionuclide imaging: General principles. In: Adams A, et al. Grainger & Allison's Diagnostic Radiology. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/106899019-4/0/1611/0.html. Accessed Sept. 14, 2010.
- Mettler FA. Essentials of Radiology. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Elsevier Saunders; 2005. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/106899019-4/0/1276/0.html. Accessed Sept. 14, 2010.
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