Patient Preparation for the Procedure

• On the day of the exam you may eat normally. You should not take calcium supplements for at least 24 – 48 hours before your exam.
• You should wear loose, comfortable clothing, avoiding garments that have zippers, belts or buttons made of metal.
• You should bring a complete list of your current medications to your dexa scan appointment.
• You may be asked to remove some or all of your clothes and to wear a gown during the exam. You may also be asked to remove jewelry, eye glasses and any
  Barium (Ba) - A metallic, alkaline, divalent earth element; atomic no. 56, atomic wt. 137.327. Salts are often used in diagnosis.
  metal objects or clothing that might interfere with the x-ray images.
• Inform your physician if you recently had a barium examination or have been injected with a contrast material for a
  Computed Tomography - Sometimes referred to as CAT scan (computerized axial tomography). Imaging anatomical information from a cross-sectional plane of the body, each image generated by a computer synthesis of x-ray transmission data obtained in many different directions in a given plane.
  computed tomography (CT) scan or
  Radioisotope (rA-dE-O-I-sO-tOp) - An isotope that changes to a more stable state by emitting radiation.
  radioisotope scan. You may have to wait 10 to 14 days before undergoing a DEXA test.
• Women should always inform their physician or x-ray
  Technologist One trained in and using the techniques of a profession, art, or science.
  technologist if there is any possibility that they are pregnant.

(Reference:  BRRG Procedures and WWW.radiologyinfo.org)