vq

vq : ventilation perfusion scan
i was supposed to come to hukm today for my 3rd vq scan: but it was cancelled as there is an emergency case this morning..
vq scan: maybe looks simple: but actually it is very tiring.
i have had it two times in 2010.
i took about 2 hours.
you need to be fit, not coughing, not having any fever or chest infection and most importantly you have to be able to lie supine without moving for 2 hours.
lying supine was the most difficult, as i usually sleep with 2 to 3 or 4 pillows.
First, you have to inhale few dose of Tc gas. its a radionuclear gas(tectenium) . it taste bad , its awful and definitely taste worse than asthma inhalers
than, the staff with measure the radioactive dose in you, than: you have to continue to inhale until it reach the wanted dose.
than, youll be put into a special CT scan machine(looks like CT, but a little bit more compilcated)
now , the scan measured the ventilation part of your lungs..usally for my lungs, i took more than 1 hour: i have quite a bad lung ventilation due to prolonged poorly treated bronchial asthma

Then, when the ventilation part finished, here comes the perfusion part, which took another 1 hour.. contrast injected via an antecubital cannulae(which they will put on you)
The contrast was not as painful as the contrast use for CT Pulmonary angiogram( i had that way back in november 2010) after another hour.. and youll done

Looks simple, but actually its very tiring. and usually the next day, youll start to have some fever and cough, and if ur unlucky porbably some exercise intolerance usually for a week or two.