An outpatient arrives for whole-body bone scintigraphy with an intravenously injected phosphonate agent. Before the tracer is injected and again at discharge, the technologist reviews what the patient should do at home. Which instruction set correctly covers hydration and voiding before the injection and after the study ends?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation.
Short Explanation
Drink plenty of fluids before the injection, then keep drinking and void often for the rest of the day. Good hydration helps your kidneys clear the tracer, so keep it up after you get home, too.
Full Explanation
Taking plenty of fluids before a phosphonate injection supports renal clearance once the tracer is administered. Voiding before imaging helps reduce accumulated bladder activity that could obscure nearby structures; after the study, extra fluids and frequent voiding help shorten the time the tracer remains in your body and reduce radiation exposure to the bladder. Resting at home without extra drinking does not promote clearance, so that plan misses the benefit of continued hydration. Removing jewelry and explaining the procedure are useful preparation steps, but they do not include the required pre-injection hydration instruction. Avoiding fluids to keep the bladder empty works against recommended hydration; an empty bladder is not a reason to restrict fluids. One caveat is that patients with fluid restrictions need individualized instructions from their healthcare provider. Before you leave, ask the patient to repeat the instructions in their own words to check understanding.