How is a hepatobiliary scan performed?

1. If acute cholecystitis is suspected, the patient must not have anything orally for 4 hours prior to the study. If the patient has not had anything to eat for more than 24 hours, CCK should be administered prior to the examination.
2. Tc-99m IDA 5 to 10 mCi is administered intravenously. Some institutions increase the dose with increasing bilirubin levels.
3. Images are obtained every 5 minutes for 1 hour. If no filling is seen after1 hour, late images may be obtained for as long as 4 hours post injection, or morphine administration can be considered (to contract the sphincter of Oddi and help to fill the gallbladder if the cystic duct is patent).