Ventilation Perfusion Lung Scan (VQ Scan)

This exam is a nuclear medicine procedure that uses a combination of inhalation of a radioactive aerosol and injection of a radioactive tracer to diagnose a blood clot in the lungs.

Preparation

• Please arrive 15 minutes prior to your appointment.
• No special preparation is required.

Procedure

• You will breathe in a small amount of radioactive aerosol that is administered via a mouthpiece or face mask. It is very important to follow the instructions given by the technologist.
• Images at different angles are then taken to evaluate air flow to the lungs.
• You will then be injected with a small amount of radioactive tracer followed by a repeat of the images at different angles around the chest.
• You will be asked to wait while the technologist has the images interpreted by the radiologist. In the event that there is concern over what is determined from the images, your doctor will be contacted for further guidance.
• Total time for the exam may be up to 1 hour.

After the procedure

• You will follow up with your ordering doctor.

Considerations

• If you are pregnant or suspect you may be, contact your referring doctor.
• Tell the technologist if you are planning to travel out of the country.