Beat you to it, lol:
from: St. Cloud Hospital Imaging Services
Patient Instructions - Captopril Renogram
A captopril renogram is a special test that uses a radioactive substance (or tracer) to examine the blood flow to your kidneys.
A captopril renogram is performed to evaluate blood flow to the kidneys to help detect any narrowing or blockage of the renal artery. This may be a possible cause of hypertension or high blood pressure.
Before the examination, you should tell your physician if you are pregnant or nursing. Your physician may take you off certain medications in the captopril family three days prior to the renogram to improve the accuracy of the test. Captopril is a medication usually given for high blood pressure and will be given to you during your renogram. On the evening before the examination, you should not eat after 9:00 p.m. You should increase your fluid consumption to ensure you are well-hydrated for the procedure.
When you arrive for the examination, a technologist will inject a radioactive substance into a vein in your arm. You will not feel any effects from the injection. The radiation you are exposed to with the injected radioactive substance is about the same as a regular x-ray. Your body usually eliminates the tracer within 24 hours. Initial images will be taken for about 30 minutes. You will then be directed to the Outpatient Services department where they will draw your blood and you will receive the oral dose of captopril. The nurses will monitor your blood pressure every 15 minutes for an hour. At that time, another blood sample will be taken from you and you will return to Nuclear Medicine for another 30-minute scan. After completion of the scan, you will return to Outpatient Services for final assessment and release. Length of the entire process is approximately 3-4 hours.
After the test, your captopril renogram pictures will be examined by a radiologist and your physician will receive a report of the findings and discuss the result with you.
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