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CT Scans and
Coffee Don't Mix
(HealthDayNews, 6/28/05)
According to researchers at St. Louis University School of
Medicine, ingesting caffeine prior to a CT scan or positron
emission tomography (PET) can alter the results. Many scans
for malignancies entail the use of fluorodeoxyglucucose (FDG),
a radiopharmaceutical tracer that goes to the heart, allowing
doctors to view cardiac function during the test. But drinking
coffee accelerates the heartbeat, bringing more FDG to the
heart region, where it can obscure the view of nearby tissues.
A similar situation occurs when people exercise before an
imaging procedure. These findings indicate that patients
should avoid caffeine and exercise before a scan.
(Saint Louis University, news
release, June 2005) |
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