PET-CT Instructions

Instructions to Patients:

  1. Please bring referral letter and HKID card (Two-way permit or passport for people from Mainland) for registration, any photocopy is not accepted.
  2. Please arrive 30 minutes before appointment.
  3. Please keep an empty stomach for 4 hours before the examination with no parenteral nutrition, oral / intravenous fluids or dextrose within that period, only water is allowed.
  4. Please stop taking Chinese medicine (e.g. Lingzhi, Yunzhi) for at least 3 days, and should not receive any Barium examination within 10 days before the examination
  5. Please do not engage in any vigorous exercise the day before examination.
  6. Diabetic patient guidelines: 
    - Exam should be scheduled early in the morning (if possible) as this is the time that most diabetic patients have the lowest glucose level. Diabetic patients should stop all insulin and oral diabetes medications after midnight before the examination, and bring their medications on the examination day.
    - After completing the scan, patients should be encouraged to eat a meal immediately and resume insulin or oral medications to avoid the risk of hypoglycemia.
  7. Patient needs to undergo a blood glucose test, and any patients with higher than acceptable blood glucose level may have their examination delayed or rescheduled to another day.
  8. Patients who require contrast study must have their creatinine level checked (within 3 months), if you are older than 65 or suffering from DM or diseases affecting on history of renal impairment and hypertension on medication. Creatinine level may need to be tested at the centre the day of the examination.
  9. Please inform doctor of any history of food or drug allergy / adverse reaction to contrast medium or history of asthma. Oral or intravenous steroid premedication may be needed before injection of contrast medium to minimize the allergic reaction.
  10. Patients younger than 18 must be accompanied by parent or legal guardian, and consent form should be signed by parent or legal guardian.
  11. All metallic objects (e.g. watches, jewelry, ear rings, hair pins) should be removed before examination and kept safe by yourself.
  12. Please bring along relevant X-ray, CT or MRI films and reports (if any) for comparison.
  13. For female patient, please kindly inform referral doctor and reschedule the examination if pregnancy cannot be excluded. If the menstrual cycle exceeds 28 days, the urinary pregnancy test must be accepted; if the patient is over 55 years old and has been stopped for at least 2 years, the pregnancy test is not required.
  14. The leaflet only provides general examination information, common risks and complications are not exhaustive. If you have any questions, please contact our staff for detailed information and specific enquiry.