What Dietary Precautions Should Be Taken After a PET-CT Scan?

What Dietary Precautions Should Be Taken After a PET-CT Scan?

Patients are usually informed that they need to fast for at least 4 hours before undergoing a PET-CT scan. The entire process—from check-in and consultation, to the injection of the imaging agent, waiting period, scanning, and post-scan rest—typically takes about 2 hours. This means that during the day, patients often have to fast for at least 6 hours. If a delayed scan is also required, for some patients, it can feel like they’re starving, with their stomachs growling nonstop.

So, what dietary precautions should be taken after returning home?

As everyone knows, CT scans involve radiation exposure, and PET-CT is no exception. However, its benefits far outweigh the risks, and the radiation dose is well within safe limits. Moreover, the half-life of 18F-FDG is only 110 minutes, which means the radioactive nuclides in the body can be metabolized and cleared within a very short period of time.

So, how can we help radioactive nuclides be metabolized and cleared from the body as quickly as possible? Patients are advised to drink plenty of water after the examination to accelerate the excretion of the radiopharmaceutical. At the same time, they should focus on consuming high-quality protein sources (such as eggs, lean meat, fish, milk, soybeans, and animal organs), which helps reduce radiation-induced damage, promote recovery, and enhance the body’s resistance to the harmful effects of radiation.

Additionally, drinking more green tea and eating foods rich in iodine (such as kelp and nori) is also beneficial.

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Medical Address:​ PET-CT Center, Heavy Ion Hospital, Wuwei Academy of Medical Sciences

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Preliminary Review: Zhang Jie  

Final Review: Ma Shuqian