- Do not eat or drink after midnight before procedure.
- Take blood pressure and/or heart medications with a sip of water on the morning of the procedure unless instructed otherwise.
- You will not be allowed to drive after procedure so please arrange transportation.
- You will be contacted by our staff prior to the procedure for specific exam preparation instructions.
- If you have any questions prior to the procedure, please call us at (562) 967-2774 to speak to a member of our clinical team.
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INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY PROCEDURE PREPARATION
PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS
DIAGNOSTIC RADIOLOGY EXAM PREPARATION
By following these instructions carefully—both the general instructions and those that apply to your specific exam, below—you help us to ensure the best possible diagnostic quality.
EXAM PREPARATION
Radiology Exam General Preparation
- Please arrive at least 20 minutes before your radiology exam appointment. If you must cancel or reschedule, call us at least 24 hours in advance.
- If you are pregnant, or think you might be pregnant, let your doctor know. In most cases, X-ray exams will not be done on a pregnant patient.
- Tell us if you are breastfeeding.
- If you are diabetic and taking insulin, ask your physician for specific instructions regarding the dosages for the day of your examination.
- If you are on a medically-ordered, fluid-restricted diet or if you have kidney failure or a kidney transplant, discuss radiology exam preparation with your physician, who may alter your instructions.
- If your radiology exam requires you to fast beforehand and is scheduled for the afternoon, you may have 8 -12 ounces of water around 7:00 AM. Otherwise don’t eat, drink, smoke or chew before the exam.
- If you are planning on taking sedation medication, please arrive one (1) hour before your appointment and do not start taking the medication until after you have completed the paper work on site. Please arrange for someone to drive you home from the exam.
What You Should Bring
- Prescription or referral from your physician.
- List of medications you take, including non-prescription medications and supplements.
- Insurance cards.
- Any previous, relevant imaging exams and reports performed outside of our network.
- Medical history, including whether you may be pregnant or breastfeeding currently.
Radiology Exam Procedure-Specific Instructions
Different radiology exams have different preparation requirements. Our staff will discuss specific instructions with you, and you can review the information below. Please click on the + sign for more information.
General Preparation
Patients with Mild/Moderate IV Contrast or Iodine allergies:
Please contact your doctor to prescribe you a pre-medication for your allergy to take for this exam. You will need to have the prescription filled at your pharmacy and take according to your doctors directions.
On the day of your appointment:
Please arrange for someone to drive you to and from your appointment
Please do not eat or drink anything for at least 4 hours before your appointment. This includes: gum, mints, coffee, etc.
Please arrive 20 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time.
For breastfeeding patients:
After your appointment, please pump and discard breastmilk for 24 hours
Biopsies
10 days prior to your appointment day, please do not take any fish oils
5 days prior to your appointment day, please do not take any aspirin, Aleve, ibuprofen, vitamin E, Plavix, Coumadin, Ginkgo Biloba, and any blood thinners
If you are currently seeing a cardiologist and are on blood thinners, please contact your provider so that they can determine a safe method for stopping your medication for this exam. In the case that your provider does not recommend stopping your medication, please give us a call back
On the day of the appointment:
Please arrange for someone to drive you to and from your appointment
Please do not eat or drink anything (besides water) for at least 4 hours before your appointment. This includes: gum, mints, coffee, etc.
Please arrive 20 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time.
CT Abdomen/Pelvis
Prior to your appointment day, please increase the amount of water you're drinking. You will need to be well hydrated on the day of the exam
On the day of your appointment:
Please arrive 1 hour early to allow the site to prep you for your exam
Please do not eat or drink anything (besides water) for at least 4 hours before your appointment. This includes: gum, mints, coffee, etc.
For breastfeeding patients:
After your appointment, please pump and discard breastmilk for 24 hours
CT Angiogram
10 days prior to your appointment day, please do not take any fish oils
CT Bone Density
No Prep
Please arrive 20 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time.
CT Calcium Scoring
5 days prior to your appointment day, please do not take any aspirin, Aleve, ibuprofen, vitamin E, Plavix, Coumadin, Ginkgo Biloba, and any blood thinners
X-Ray
This exam requires no special preparation. Use the general instructions at the top of this page.
CT Contrast
If you are currently seeing a cardiologist and are on blood thinners, please contact your provider so that they can determine a safe method for stopping your medication for this exam. In the case that your provider does not recommend stopping your medication, please give us a call back
CT Enterography
In order to perform your exam, we will need for your provider to write a prescription for 20mg of Reglan. You will need to bring this with you on the day of your appointment.
Prior to your appointment day, please increase the amount of water you're drinking. You will need to be well hydrated on the day of the exam.
On the day of your appointment:
Please do not eat or drink anything (besides water) for at least 4 hours before your appointment. This includes: gum, mints, coffee, etc.
Please arrive 20 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time.
For breastfeeding patients:
After your appointment, please pump and discard breastmilk for 24 hours
CT Myelogram
Please provide the appropriate (CBC, PT, PTT, and INR) labwork no older than 30-days from your appointment date. If you have not had labwork done yet or recently, please call your doctor to have the labwork performed before your appointment.
Prior to your appointment day, please increase the amount of water you're drinking. You will need to be well hydrated on the day of the exam.
5 days prior to your appointment, please stop taking any blood thinners or aspirin products.
3 days prior to your appointment, please stop taking any NSAIDs (Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs such as Ibuprofen)
2 days prior to your appointment, please stop taking any anorexiants (Appetite suppressants), muscle relaxers, antidepressants or tranquilizers (Such as anti-anxiety medication).
On the day of your appointment:
Please do not eat or drink anything (besides water) for at least 4 hours before your appointment. This includes: gum, mints, coffee, etc.
Please arrange for someone to drive you to and from your appointment.
Please arrive 20 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time.
After your appointment:
You will need to rest for at least 24 hours, no rigorous activity during this time please.
For breastfeeding patients:
After your appointment, please pump and discard breastmilk for 24 hours
CT Non Contrast
No Prep
Please arrive 20 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time.
CT Venograms
Please do not wear any perfume, powder, deodorant or lotion around the breast area.
DEXA
Please eat a light meal, but no large meals.
MR Abdomen/Pelvis
Prior to your appointment day, please increase the amount of water you're drinking. You will need to be well hydrated on the day of the exam
On the day of your appointment:
Please do not eat or drink anything (besides water) for at least 4 hours before your appointment. This includes: gum, mints, coffee, etc.
Please arrive 20 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time.
For breastfeeding patients:
After your appointment, please pump and discard breastmilk for 24 hours.
MR Contrast
Prior to your appointment day, please increase the amount of water you're drinking. You will need to be well hydrated on the day of the exam
On the day of your appointment:
Please arrive 20 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time.
For breastfeeding patients:
After your appointment, please pump and discard breastmilk for 24 hours.
MR Enterography
In order to perform your exam, we will need for your provider to write a prescription for 20mg of Reglan and 1mg of Glucagon. You will need to bring this with you on the day of your appointment
Prior to your appointment day, please increase the amount of water you're drinking. You will need to be well hydrated on the day of the exam
On the day of your appointment:
Please arrive 1 hour early to allow the site to prep you for your exam
Please do not eat or drink anything (besides water) for at least 4 hours before your appointment. This includes: gum, mints, coffee, etc.
For breastfeeding patients:
After your appointment, please pump and discard breastmilk for 24 hours.
MR Non Contrast
No Prep
Please arrive 20 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time..
MR Prostate
Please provide PSA (Prostate-Specific-Antigen) Labwork no older than 90-days from your appointment date. If you have not had PSA labwork done yet or recently, please call your doctor to have the labwork performed before your appointment.
Please provide any prior records pertaining to this exam such as biopsies, treatment and history.
Prior to your appointment day, please increase the amount of water you're drinking. You will need to be well hydrated on the day of the exam
This exam requires that you do not ejaculate for the 2 days prior to your appointment.
On the day of your appointment:
Please do not eat or drink anything (besides water) for at least 4 hours before your appointment. This includes: gum, mints, coffee, etc.
2 hours prior to your appointment, please use a laxative suppository or a fleet enema. These may be obtained from your local pharmacy.
Please arrive 20 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time.
This exam must not be performed sooner than 8 weeks after a biopsy unless that biopsy had positive findings.
MR Cholangiopancreatography (MRCP)
Prior to your appointment day, please increase the amount of water you're drinking. You will need to be well hydrated on the day of the exam
On the day of your appointment:
Please do not eat or drink anything (besides water) for at least 4 hours before your appointment. This includes: gum, mints, coffee, etc.
Please arrive 20 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time.
For breastfeeding patients:
After your appointment, please pump and discard breastmilk for 24 hours.
Recall Prep
Please repeat prep that was previously given for this exam.
Pelvic Ultrasound
On the day of your appointment:
Please arrive 20 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time.
Based on your age, please follow the instructions below:
0-2 years old: Please feed the child liquids 1 hour before the appointment. Please come prepared with extra juice or formula for the appointment
3-4 years old: Please finish drinking 8 ounces of water 30 minutes before the start of the exam. Please do not let the child use the restroom prior to the appointment, as the bladder must be full for this exam
6-14 years old: Please finish drinking between 16 and 24 ounces of water 1 hour before the appointment. Please do not use the restroom prior to the appointment, as the bladder must be full for this exam
15 years or older: Please finish drinking 32 ounces of water 1 hour before the appointment. Please do not use the restroom prior to the appointment, as the bladder must be full for this exam
Abdominal Ultrasound
On the day of your appointment:
Please do not eat or drink anything (besides water) for at least 6 hours before your appointment. This includes: gum, mints, coffee, etc. If you need to drink any water in order to take your required medication, please only drink enough to take your medication
Please arrive 20 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time.
Sonohysterogram/Hysterosonogram
This exam requires that you do not have unprotected intercourse from your last menstrual period until after your appointment.
Patients with a regular monthly cycle:
This exam must be scheduled between 7 and 10 days after Day 1 of your menstrual cycle (Day 1 is the first day of bleeding)
Patients with an irregular monthly cycle:
Please provide labwork that contains your HCG levels done within 5 days of your appointment. If you have not had this labwork done, please contact your doctor to have the labwork performed within 5 days of your appointment.
On the day of your appointment:
Please arrive 20 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time.
OB Ultrasound
On the day of your appointment:
Please arrive 20 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time.
Based on your age, please follow the instructions below:
14 years old or younger: Please finish drinking between 16 and 24 ounces of water 1 hour before the appointment. Please do not use the restroom prior to the appointment, as the bladder must be full for this exam
15 years or older: Please finish drinking 32 ounces of water 1 hour before the appointment. Please do not use the restroom prior to the appointment, as the bladder must be full for this exam.