Parathyroid Scintigraphy - European Association of Nuclear Medicine

Patient preparation
Audrey Taylor and Nish Fernando
Patient identification
To minimise the risk of a misadministration:
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Establish the patient’s full name and other
relevant details prior to administration of
any drug or radiopharmaceutical.
Corroborate the data with information provided
on the diagnostic test referral.
If the information on the referral form does
not match the information obtained by the
identification process, then the radiopharmaceutical/drug
should not be administered to
the patient. This should be explained to the
patient and clarification sought as soon as
possible by contacting the referral source.
The patient/parent/guardian/escort should
be asked for the following information, which
should then be checked against the request
form and ward wristband in the case of an
in-patient:
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Full name (check any spellings as appropriate,
e.g. Steven vs Stephen)
Date of birth
Address
If there are any known allergies or previous
reactions to any drug, radiopharmaceutical,
iodine-based contrast media or products
such as micropore or Band-Aids
A minimum of TWO corroborative details
should be requested and confirmed as correct.
The following information should be checked
with the patient/parent/guardian/escort
where appropriate:
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Referring clinician/GP/hospital
Any relevant clinical details
Confirmation that the patient has complied
with the dietary and drug restrictions
Confirmation that the results of correlative
imaging (e.g. echocardiography, angiography,
etc.) are available prior to the study, and
noting of any recent interventions
If in doubt, do not administer the radiopharmaceutical
or drug and seek clarification.
Specific patient groups
This is a guide only. Patients who are unable to
identify themselves for any of a variety of reasons
should wear a wrist identification band.
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Hearing difficulties: Use written questions
and ask the patient to supply the information
verbally or to write their responses down.
Speech difficulties: Ask the patient to write
down their name, date of birth and address
and other relevant details.