HIDA or Hepatobiliary Scan

A Hepatobiliary Scan or HIDA Scan is a scan that looks at the function of the gallbladder.  The scan will enable the doctor to tell whether the gallbladder is working correctly.  The patient must not eat or drink anything four hours prior to the test.  No opiate pain medication can be taken 6 hours before the test.  A drug call kinevac will be administered over 15 minutes through the IV. 

Kinevac or CCK mimics the process of a meal telling the gallbladder to empty out.

After the kinevac, a radiotracer will be injected.  The radiotracer will start in the liver and fill up in the gallbladder.  This process takes around 40 minutes.  Once the gallbladder has visualized, the patient will be given a second dose of kinevac to help measure the gallbladder emptying rate.. This dose will run over 30-45 minutes.  Minimal movement is acceptable, but keeping the stomach still is important. 

Preparation for this scan includes NPO for 4 hours and no pain medicine for 6 hours.

This test takes 1-1/2 hours to complete.

**Sedation is not an option for this test as it slows down digestion and could give false results.

Who can I call with questions?

If you have any questions, please call or text 865-541-8116 to speak with a member of the Radiology or Sedation team.

Someone from our Radiology team will call or text to confirm your appointment and answer any questions you may have regarding your appointment. If you have any questions, please contact us at 865-541-8116.

You can also see these instructions and more information here about Imaging and Radiology at East Tennessee Children's Hospital.