V/Q Lung Scan
Lung Scan, Lung Perfusion Scan, Ventilation/ Perfusion Scan.
A V/Q scan is used to diagnose blood clots in the lungs.
See below for clinics where this service is available.
- Central Coast: Gosford North
- Toukley
- Tuggerah
- Woy Woy
- Eastern Suburbs: Zetland
- Illawarra: Shellharbour
- Wollongong
- Northern Beaches: Dee Why
V/Q Lung Scan - What You Need To Know
What is a VQ or Lung scan
A V/Q scan is used to diagnose blood clots in the lungs.
What are the benefits of a V/Q Lung Scan
- Assess and diagnose pulmonary embolism – commonly known as blood clots in the lung
What are the risks of a V/Q Lung Scan
- This test is commonly performed on pregnant women. Whilst a radioactive substance is still administered, the dose is adjusted to be within a suitable range for safe administration for the pregnancy.
- Not normally suitable for women within their first trimester of pregnancy
- Breastfeeding must be ceased for 24hours after the test to allow time for the radioactive tracer to decay and exit the body
How to Prepare For A V/Q Lung Scan:
Preparation
- There is no preparation for a lung scan
- This is normally an urgent scan that we routinely offer same day appointments for
How long does a V/Q Lung Scan take
You will normally be in the department for around 1 hour. This includes the necessary imaging that takes around 30 minutes, and time for the reporting Nuclear Medicine physician to review your images prior to leaving the practice
The V/Q Lung Scan procedure
You will be required to breathe through a mouthpiece which contains a gas with a radioactive substance to assess the airflow to your lungs. This can take up to 10 minutes. You will then be positioned under a gamma camera which will move around your lungs and take pictures for 15 minutes.
For the second part of the study you will then be injected with a radioactive tracer that will enable further images to be taken to assess the blood supply to your lungs. Images are taken again for a further 10 minutes.
Post Myocardial Perfusion Scan
After your examination
- After your lung scan we ask that you stay in our department until the images have been reviewed by our Doctor.
- Your images and report will be sent through to your referring doctor on the same day as your appointment.
What Our Patients Say About PRP
I would not go anywhere else for Diagnostic imaging. All staff from reception to radiographers are excellent, friendly and very caring. Thank you all for doing a wonderful job.