In general about the examination
WHEN IS IT RECOMMENDED?
Status or function of one or more organs or organ systems can be evaluated, referred by a physician. The highly simplified essence of the examination: a material participating in the function or metabolism of an organ is administered into the body signed with a certain marker. This material along with the marker then infiltrates the organ with an intensity and distribution depending on the function of the organ. The activity is now detected, i.e. the signals are detected over the examined organ. With the detected signals, status or function of the organ or organ-system can be concluded.
FOR WHAT AGE GROUP?
In reasonable cases, it can be performed in all age-groups (even in infants).
HOW OFTEN IS IT RECOMMENDED?
The examinations should only be repeated for the recommendation of a physician.
DOES IT HAVE ANY RISKS?
Though the examination means radiation exposure, it is usually less than that of the X-ray examinations. In case of pregnancy or lactation, special care should be taken. It is also necessary to consult your therapist prior to this examination.
HOW TO REQUEST AN EXAMINATION?
Your physician can request the isotope examination.
DOES IT HAVE ANY SIDE-EFFECTS?
The radiopharmacons administered during the examination don’t have any side-effects, and cause allergy extremely rarely. Incidental reactions may occur during certain stress test examinations, as a side-effect of the other medications used.
WHAT TO DO AFTER THE EXAMINATION?
There are no special restrictions after the examination. However, on the day of the examination, if solvable, keep away from your young children and don’t stay close to young children or pregnant women for a longer period, to avoid the unnecessary radiation exposure.
FURTHER ISOTOPE EXAMINATIONS
- Isotope examination of the heart muscle at rest and after exercise
- Bone isotope study
- Brain perfusion scanning at rest and after exercise
- Thyroid scintigraphy
- Lymph-node, lymphatic scintigraphy
Isotope examination of the heart muscle at rest and after exercise
WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE EXAMINATION?
The examination is for the evaluation of past impairments of the heart muscle and its perfusion disorders after exercise. It also informs about the pump function of the heart muscle.
HOW IS THE EXAMINATION PERFORMED?
The examination at rest consists of an intravenous injection, and after at least 30 minutes, an approx. 15 minute long scanning whilst the patient should lie motionless. The stress test is performed another day, similar to the examination at rest, but with preliminary physical exercise (threadmill) or medication induced stress.
WHAT TO DO BEFORE THE EXAMINATION?
Fasting is required before both examinations. The patients are asked to bring half a liter of milk or 5 dkg of chocolate that has to be consumed 10 minutes after the intravenous administration of the radiopharmacon, before the scan. These food products constrict the gall bladder, thus helping secretion of the bile and improving the quality of the heart scans. Two days before the stress test, the medications listed in the patient information folder should be skipped, furthermore coffee, energy drink, tea or coke is forbidden before the examination as well.
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?
1-2 hours on the average.
WILL IT BE PAINFUL?
Only the intravenous injection may cause pain.
WHEN DO I GET MY RESULTS?
Generally in 1-2 working days, or as told by the assistants.
BOOKING TIME?
- With referral, covered by the social security it is 1-4 weeks.
- For paying patients it is 1-3 days!
Bone isotope study
WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE EXAMINATION?
It is a very sensitive, but less specific examination for the evaluation of bone and joint diseases. It is mostly used for the evaluation of bone metastases, inflammations of the bones and joints, bone tumors, perfusion disorders of the bones and prosthesis loosening. It is also suitable for evaluating active and degenerative joint diseases.
HOW IS THE EXAMINATION PERFORMED?
The examination consists of an intravenous injection, and after at least 2-3 hours, a 15-30 minute long scanning whilst the patient should lie motionless. In certain cases the radiopharmacon is administered under the gamma-camera and early scans are also made. While waiting, at least a liter of fluid should be consumed to ensure washing out the isotope from the soft tissues.
WHAT TO DO BEFORE THE EXAMINATION?
The examination doesn’t require any preparation, the patient doesn’t have to fast, but a liter of fluid should be carried to drink it after administering the injection.
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?
3-5 hours on the average, but the patient may leave the department between the injection and the scan.
WILL IT BE PAINFUL?
Only the intravenous injection may cause pain.
WHEN DO I GET MY RESULTS?
Generally in 1-2 working days, or as told by the assistants.
BOOKING TIME?
- With referral, covered by the social security it is 2-14 days.
- For paying patients it is 1-3 days.
Brain perfusion scanning at rest and after exercise
WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE EXAMINATION?
The examination is mostly performed to evaluate perfusion disorders of the brain, diseases accompanied by forgetfulness and intellectual decline, epileptic foci, post-traumatic head and headache, and to find organic background of psychiatric disorders.
HOW IS THE EXAMINATION PERFORMED?
The examination consists of taking a capsule, administering an intravenous injection and performing a scan at least 30-60 minutes later (the duration of the scan is approx. 25 minutes). The stress test is performed on another day (at least 2 days later). The only difference from the examination at rest is that 20 minutes before administering the radiopharmacon, an other medicine is infused slowly, intravenously (stress test cannot be performed in case of sulfonamide sensitivity).
WHAT TO DO BEFORE THE EXAMINATION?
The examination doesn’t require any preparation, the patient doesn’t have to fast either.
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?
1-1,5 hours on the average.
WILL IT BE PAINFUL?
Only the intravenous injection may cause pain.
WHEN DO I GET MY RESULTS?
Generally in 1-2 working days, or as told by the assistants.
BOOKING TIME?
- With referral, covered by the social security it is 1-14 weeks.
- For paying patients it is 1-4 days!
Thyroid scintigraphy
WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE EXAMINATION?
It is generally used for the clarification of the nature (cold or hot nodules) of thyroid lesions (nodules detected by ultrasonography or palpation), for the evaluation of thyroid function disorders, congenital hypofunction or lesions in the neck of uncertain origin. It also gives information on the size of the thyroid glands.
HOW IS THE EXAMINATION PERFORMED?
The examination consists of an intravenous injection, and after at least 10 minutes, an approx. 10 minute long scanning.
WHAT TO DO BEFORE THE EXAMINATION?
The examination doesn’t require any preparation; the patient doesn’t have to fast either. It is necessary to carry the findings of the thyroid ultrasonography and the thyroid function tests (TSH, T3, T4).
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?
20-30 minutes on the average.
WILL IT BE PAINFUL?
Only the intravenous injection may cause pain.
WHEN DO I GET MY RESULTS?
Generally in 1-2 working days, or as told by the assistants.
BOOKING TIME?
- With referral, covered by the social security it is 1-5 working days.
- For paying patients it is 1-4 days!
Lymph-node, lymphatic scintigraphy
WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE EXAMINATION?
It is used in certain tumor diseases (mostly skin and breast cancer) to evaluate the lymphatic drainage of the affected area, and to detect the so called “sentinel lymph node”, that is important in case of metastases. It is also used for isotope marking before operations for the more accurate results.
HOW IS THE EXAMINATION PERFORMED?
The administration of the radiopharmacon and the gamma-camera scanning are generally performed the day before the operation. During the operation, finding and identification of the possibly active, i.e. metastatic sentinel lymph node is done with a special detector. In case of non-palpable breast tumors, radioisotope guided removal of the tumor supports the surgeon. The radiopharmacon is administered around the tumor (generally skin or breast cancer) in 4 locations (in case of non-palpable breast tumors directly into the tumor with ultrasonography or mammography guidance). Projection of the detected sentinel lymph nodes is marked on the skin generally from two directions with a skin-marker.
WHAT TO DO BEFORE THE EXAMINATION?
The examination doesn’t require any preparation, the patient doesn’t have to fast either.
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?
The early scans last for 30-60 minutes, while the late ones last for approx. 10 minutes.
WILL IT BE PAINFUL?
Only the administration of the radiopharmacon may be painful.
WHEN DO I GET MY RESULTS?
In 1 working day.
BOOKING TIME?
Booking is according to consultation with the surgeons.
Price
Imaging diagnostic examinations are performed for persons with social security, continously paying contributions and allowances or have a valid legal relationship for any other reason in Hungary on the expense of the social insuracnce (SI). The majority of patients makes use of our services as ambulatory care, i.e. as an out-patients. Out-patient examinations have been readily financed by the SI to a certain extent only and this is far less than the real demand would require. With regard to the fact that examinations above this limit are not financed by the SI, most health care instituations and providers – and so do we – take measures to book our examinations. We perform the appropriate amount of monthly financed examinations after summarizing the bookings. But since the demand for imaging diagnostic examination if much higher than what the above limit permits, in some cases patients have to wait for certain examinations several weeks, even months. Naturally, this waiting time doesn’t apply for urgent examinations. Applying an urgent examination is the duty of the referral doctor, after coinsidering the patient’s health status and in the cases of the clinical status of “urgent demand” defined by the law. Inpatient examinations are imaging diagnostic examinations for patients staying permanently in health care institutaions. Theoretically there isn’t any limit for examinations of this type. If the doctor of the inpatient decides that imaging diagnostic examination is necessary for the patient, this still will be performed on the day of such request. In every case the adequately filled out referral and the valid SSN number (social security number) is needed before performing the examination.
The validity of social insurance legal relationship has to be checked in case of every patient.
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