White Blood Cell Scan
Nuclear Medicine
White Blood Cell Scan
A nuclear imaging scan using your own white blood cells can help your physician detect white blood cell activity and diagnose infections in the body.
Patient Testimonials
Dr Petersen, Hartlee
“They made me so comfortable and took my sarcasm (humor) really good. I thought his assistant was 13… but was the sweetest girl.”
Karen
“Karen was especially amazing. She was friendly and helpful and did a fantastic job!”
Makayla P., Brooke H., Riley H.
“The receptionist was friendly and extremely helpful, and the clinicians were kind and sensitive.”
Ronni
“Ronni the tech working with me today was outstanding! Very kind and helped me make it through the exam.”
Joe S.
“The tech was great. He knew I was anxious and took his time explaining, gave me options and time to acclimate.”
Camille
“She was extremely warm and kind. I was very nervous and she walked me through the whole process.”
Frequently Asked Questions
In this procedure, a technologist will first draw blood from your vein. A nuclear medicine pharmacist will remove the white blood cells from the blood and attach a small amount of radioactive material to them in a process called labeling. This process can take three (3) to four (4) hours.
After your white blood cells have been labeled, the radioactive blood will be injected back into your vein. The treated white blood cells will gather at the site of infection. You will return to our facility 24 hours after your injection for imaging. The pictures will take up to 90 minutes.
The white blood cell scan is a two-day procedure. On the first day, blood is drawn and your white blood cells are labeled with radioactive material, which takes 3-4 hours. You’ll then return 24 hours later for imaging, which takes up to 90 minutes.
A nuclear medicine pharmacist must carefully separate your white blood cells from your blood sample and attach radioactive material to them in a sterile laboratory process. This precise work ensures accurate results and takes 3-4 hours to complete safely.
Your blood remains in our facility under controlled laboratory conditions. The white blood cells are separated, labeled with a small amount of radioactive material, and then prepared for reinjection into your body.
White blood cell scans are particularly effective at detecting bone infections (osteomyelitis), abdominal infections, abscesses, post-surgical infections, and other hidden infections that are difficult to locate with other imaging methods.