Nuclear Medicine Hida Scan (or Hepatobiliary Scan)

Your doctor has suggested you have a Hida Scan as part of the evaluation at National Jewish Health. This study shows the function of your liver and gall bladder. The Hida Scan will show how your liver concentrates bile into the gall bladder and spills it into the small intestine.

How do you get ready for the test?

Eat a fatty meal at about 9:30 the night before your test. This might be a bowl of ice cream, some potato chips or french fries.
Do not eat or drink 6 hours before the exam.
You will not change clothes.
This test takes over 1½ hours and imaging will be performed throughout the test.
Let the technologist know if you are pregnant or nursing.
If needed, a small amount of morphine could be used during the exam; if used you will need to ask a companion (family member or friend) to take you home. You will not be able to drive or take a taxi home after the test.

What is done during the test?

The Nuclear Medicine Technologist will explain the Nuclear Medicine Hida Scan to you. Ask questions if you don’t understand.

You will have an IV started. You will lie down on the imaging table and will be made comfortable. You will be given a small amount of a radioactive tracer in the IV that will be taken up by your liver. You will not feel any effect from this isotope (radioactive tracer). Images are taken at specific time points for 1 hour. A small IV drip will then be started to contract the gallbladder. This drip and concurrent imaging will take an additional 30 minutes.

At one hour, if the gall bladder is visible and tracer is seen in the small intestine a small amount of a pharmaceutical will be given in the IV. The medicine is cholecystekinen (CCK, Kinevac). The medicine dosage is determined by your weight. This is given slowly and might cause some minor discomfort, such as cramping. Imaging will continue for 32 minutes. The effects from the CCK will stop within a few minutes after the infusion is completed.

If the gall bladder is not seen at one hour, a small amount of morphine (2mg) will be given in the IV by a nurse. Imaging will continue for 30 minutes.

Remember, you must have a companion (family member or friend) with you when you have the test. They will take you home after your Hida Scan. You will not be able to drive or take a taxi home after the test.