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RBC nuclear scan
Bleeding scan, Tagged RBC scan; Hemorrhage - RBC scan
An RBC nuclear scan uses small amounts of radioactive material to mark (tag) red blood cells (RBCs). Your body is then scanned to see the cells and track how they move through the body.
How the Test is Performed
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.
Radioisotope
A positron emission tomography scan is a type of imaging test. It uses a radioactive substance called a tracer to look for disease in the body. A po...
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 material. The cells with the radioactive material are considered "tagged." A short time later the tagged RBCs are injected into one of your veins.
The second method involves an injection of medicine. The medicine allows the radioactive material to attach to your red blood cells. The radioactive material is injected into a vein 15 or 20 minutes after you receive this medicine.
Scanning may be done right away or after a delay. For the scan, you will lie on a table under a special camera. The camera detects the location and amount of radiation given off by the tagged cells.
A series of scans may be done. The specific areas scanned depend on the reason for the test.
How to Prepare for the Test
You will need to sign a consent form. You put on a hospital gown and take off jewelry or metallic objects before the scan.
How the Test will Feel
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 x-rays and radioactive material are painless. Some people may have discomfort from lying on the hard table.
x-rays
X-rays are a type of electromagnetic radiation, just like visible light. An x-ray machine sends individual x-ray particles through the body. The im...
Why the Test is Performed
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.
Normal Results
A normal exam shows no rapid bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract.
What Abnormal Results Mean
There is active bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract.
Risks
Slight risks from having blood drawn include:
-
Fainting
or feeling lightheaded
Fainting
Fainting is a brief loss of consciousness due to a drop in blood flow to the brain. The episode most often lasts less than a couple of minutes and y...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article -
Hematoma
(blood accumulating under the skin)
Hematoma
An epidural hematoma (EDH) is bleeding between the inside of the skull and the outer covering of the brain (called the dura).
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - 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 substance.
Allergic reaction
Allergic reactions are sensitivities to substances called allergens that come into contact with the skin, nose, eyes, respiratory tract, and gastroin...
Anaphylaxis
Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening type of allergic reaction.
You will be exposed to a small amount of radiation from the radioisotope. The materials break down very quickly. Almost all radioactivity will be gone within 1 or 2 days. The scanner does not give off any radiation.
Most nuclear scans (including an RBC scan) are not recommended for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Considerations
Scans may need to be repeated over 1 or 2 days to detect gastrointestinal bleeding .
Gastrointestinal bleeding
Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding refers to any bleeding that starts in the gastrointestinal tract. Bleeding may come from any site along the GI tract, ...
References
Hutton BF, Segerman D, Miles KA. Radionuclide and hybrid imaging. In: Adam A, Dixon AK, Gillard JH, Schaefer-Prokop CM, eds. Grainger & Allison's Diagnostic Radiology . 6th ed. New York, NY: Elsevier Chuchill Livingstone; 2015:chap 6.
Kovacs TO, Jensen DM. Gastrointestinal hemorrhage. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman's Cecil Medicine . 25th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2016:chap 135.
Tavakkoli A, Ashley SW. Acute gastrointestinal hemorrhage. In: Townsend CM Jr, Beauchamp RD, Evers BM, Mattox KL, eds. Sabiston Textbook of Surgery . 20th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2017:chap 46.
Review Date: 7/3/2016
Reviewed By: Jason Levy, MD, Northside Radiology Associates, Atlanta, GA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Isla Ogilvie, PhD, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
