1

Remove jewelry and other metal pieces. Although no special preparation is required before the orthopedic examination, you should wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing and not wear any jewelry. [10] Watches and metal jewelry in particular should be left at home or removed immediately before the x-rays, as they may affect the results.

Any metal on your body will make the X-ray images appear white or lighter in color than the surrounding areas, like other diagnostic imaging tests such as X-rays.

Tell the radiologist and/or technician about any metal fillings in your mouth or metal implants in your body so he can be aware of them and not confuse them with possible illnesses.

It is a good idea to wear loose-fitting clothing, as you will be asked to wear a hospital apron.

2

Tell the doctor if you are pregnant. Inform the doctor if you are pregnant or expecting to become pregnant, as exposure to radioactive material may harm the baby, [11] so do not take color scans for pregnant or breastfeeding women, as the milk may become somewhat radioactive and harm the baby as well.

There are other orthopedic scans that are safer for pregnant women, such as diagnostic ultrasound and diagnostic resonance imaging studies.

Short-term osteoporosis is not unusual among pregnant women who are malnourished due to the withdrawal of nutrients from their bones for growing children.

3

Do not take any medicine that contains bismuth. You can eat and drink normally just before the bone scan, but tell your doctor what medications you are taking, as many of them may affect the x-rays. Medicines containing barium or bismuth, for example, affect the results of bone chromatography, so you should avoid taking them for four days before the radiology. [12] [13]

Bismuth is found in a wide range of therapeutic products, such as: Pepto-Bismol, Copectate, Divrom, and Deanol.

Barium and bismuth can cause some areas of your body to appear too light in colored rays.

Understanding the risks

1

Understand the risks of radiation. A radioactive substance is injected into a vein before the bone scan, and although it won''t be in large amounts, it produces strong radiation in the body that stays for up to 3 days. [14] Radiation increases the risk of healthy cells turning into cancerous cells, so be sure to discuss the pros and cons with your doctor before having a color scan.

The radiation you are exposed to in color rays is estimated to be equal to the radiation of a conventional X-ray over the entire body and less than half of the radiation from a CT scan.[15]

Drinking plenty of water and fluids right after the bone marrow scan for 48 hours can help flush out any remaining radioactive materials in your body. [16]

Express the milk and throw it away for two or three days if you must have a color scan while you are breastfeeding your little one, to ensure that your baby is not harmed.

2

Watch for allergic reactions. Allergic reactions associated with the radioactive dye are rare but do occur and may be fatal. [17] The reaction is mild in most cases and causes some pain and inflammation at the injection site and an associated rash. Anaphylactic shock is triggered in severe cases and leads to a widespread allergic reaction that causes swelling, difficulty breathing, urticaria and hypotension.

Call your doctor right away if any of the signs of an allergic reaction become apparent when you get home after your appointment.

It takes one to four hours for the radioactive isotopes to be absorbed by the bone, but most allergic reactions occur within 30 hours of the injection.

3

Watch out for possible infection. There is a small chance that you will develop inflammation or excessive bleeding when the needle is ed into a vein to inject the radioactive dye. [18] Infection takes two days to develop and is associated with pain, redness, and swelling at the injection site. Call your doctor right away if you notice these signs. You may need to take antibiotics to fight the infection.

Signs of severe inflammation include severe throbbing pain, pus discharge at the injection site, numbness and tingling of the entire arm, fatigue, and fever.

Make sure your doctor or technician cleans your arm with an alcohol swab or tissue just before the injection.