Patient preparation instructions for PET/CT Scan - PSMA
Atlantic Health works diligently to provide you with the care you need. These instructions will help you prepare for your upcoming PET/CT exam.
If you have any questions or need to cancel your appointment, please call the Nuclear Medicine department as soon as possible. The imaging material is ordered specifically for you several days prior and will need to be canceled.
If your scan is at Morristown Medical Center, Chilton Medical Center, or Hackettstown Medical Center, please arrive 30 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time to allow for registration and injection of the imaging material.
If your scan is at Overlook Medical Center, please arrive 1 hour prior to your scheduled appointment. Timing is crucial. Delayed arrival can result in the cancellation of your exam.
What to bring:
- Your insurance card(s) and photo identification
- Your prescription
- Current list of all medications (name, dosage, and frequency). Also include over-the-counter medications, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
- Copies of any recent prior PET, CT, MRI, or Nuclear Medicine bone scan studies sent to AHS via PowerShare or brought on a disc, including both images and written reports if completed outside AHS.
General instructions:
- Fasting is not required.
- Please drink two 8oz glasses of water before your appointment. Stay well hydrated.
- Refrain from all forms of exercise within 24 hours before your exam.
- Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing with no metal snaps, buttons, zippers, sequins, belt buckles, or underwire bras. Please do not wear any jewelry and leave all valuables at home.
- If you are claustrophobic, obtain calming medication from your doctor prior to your appointment. We cannot provide these medications. Please arrange transportation if you intend to take this type of medication as you will not be permitted to drive yourself home.
- If you need a copy of your scan sent to your provider via PowerShare or need a disc copy made, please advise the technologist upon arrival.
What to expect:
- You will be with us for about 2 hours.
- You will receive an injection of a radioactive agent which targets disease. The level of radioactivity is extremely low and has no side effects.
- You will then wait in a quiet room for approximately 45-60 minutes.
- During the scan, you will lay on your back without moving for approximately 30 minutes. The scanner will take images of the radioactive tracer in your body.
- Your scan will be reviewed by a board-certified fellowship-trained radiologist within 24-48 hours and the results will be sent to your physician and available on MyChart. Your physician will then discuss your results with you.
Where to register:
Morristown Medical Center, 100 Madison Ave, Level D, Morristown, NJ 07960
973-971-5559
Enter through the Goryeb Children’s Center Entrance on Franklin St, then follow the signs for Radiology. Goryeb Children’s Center is to the left of the Emergency Department. (From Monday-Friday 6pm-6am, enter through the main hospital entrance and go to Radiology on Kahn Level D.)
Overlook Medical Center, 99 Beauvoir Ave, 4th Floor, Summit, NJ 07901
908-522-2067
Enter through the main entrance and register at Central Access. Then, go to Radiology’s Nuclear Medicine department on the 4th floor.
Chilton Medical Center, 97 West Parkway, Pompton Plains, NJ 07444
973-831-5197
Enter through the East Entrace located to the right of the Emergency Room entrance. Register at the Radiology Registration desk on your right.
Hackettstown Medical Center, 651 Willow Grove St, Hackettstown, NJ 07840
908-850-6932
Enter through the West Wing Entrance located in the back of the hospital, then go straight into the Main Hospital.
Morristown Medical Center Health Pavilion, 333 Mount Hope Ave, Suite 140, Rockaway, NJ 07866
973-971-5559
Enter through the Main Entrance and register in Suite 100, located off the main lobby.