Patients should be fasted for 8–12 hours at minimum before the appointment to improve image clarity (unless medically contraindicated). Radiologists often recommend an 18–24 hour fast to help determine if gastric foreign material is present.

Please prevent voiding for 2–4 hours prior to the scan to allow for optimal bladder assessment.

If the patient is known to be anxious or nervous, administering oral sedation the night before and the morning of the appointment is encouraged to support a fear-free experience.

Before the appointment, please obtain client consent in the event injectable sedation is required or if there is a high clinical suspicion for pathology requiring ultrasound-guided sampling.

Sedation and a platelet count within 3–5 days are required before any organ sampling. A coagulation profile is highly recommended and should be completed in advance.

Shaving is essential for obtaining high-quality diagnostic images. Our team will gladly shave the necessary areas upon arrival.

Please ensure that the patient’s online form has been completed prior to the appointment and that any supplemental materials (ie. abdominal radiographs, blood work, etc.) have also been submitted.