Indium Screening Test

[jmc37]

Can anyone tell me what this test involves exactly? I know why it is done but would like to know more about the procedure and also if its given in Scotland?

Thanks

[lindylou45]

Hi my daughter has had this done and even though we live in Scotland our consultant sent her to the Nuclear medicines department at Manchester. We were in Manchester for a week as on the first visit they take a sample of blood and then mark it with a radioactive dye, after a couple of hours it is re-injected and each day for up to 7 days you have a scan done to see how many platelets are being destroyed and where. The first day seems to go on for ages and lots of tests and bloods etc but after that each day you are only at the clinic for about an hour. It is a worthwhile test to get done as it turns out it would have been in-effective for my daughter to have her spleen removed. Hope this helps

[AnthonyHeard Administrator ITP Support Association]

Hello jmc37, I do not know exactly what is involved with the Indium Screening test but the ITP Support Assoc does have a very good booklet on all matters relating to Spleenectomy (please see ....itpsupport.org.uk/splenecto....

In respect of where the test may be carried out please see the following link to the various ITP Centres of Excellence .... itpsupport.org.uk/itpforum/...

Hope all this helps but if you want further info please do email the ITP Support Assoc on [e-mail]

[NickyD]

I had my spleen removed without knowing about the test. The splenectomy has not cured my ITP and I am so annoyed that I did not get the chance to have the test. I now am prone to infection and have to take penicllin twice a day for the rest of my life. I do NOT understand why this test is not automatically given before every splenectomy!

[Hidden]

The test is done differently in different hospitals. I had it done in London where it takes three days.

The first morning they take 50mls of blood which they take away to separate the platelets from and tag them with the indium. A couple of hours later they inject the platelets back. A little while later they scan with a gamma camera. And then four hours later they do another gamma scan.

The second and third days they just do a scan once and that's it. Each time they scan they also take a normal blood sample.

It's described here too.. virrad.eu.org/public/Indium...

[janran]

Hi My experience was the same as lindylou's daughter's. I had it done in Plymouth a couple of months ago. I hate any thing medical and was dreading the two hours in the scanner but the staff were great and the scanner was not as closed in as I was imagining. I told them how nervous I was and they let me get out and stretch my legs a couple of times which helped. The long scans were on the first day and the rest of the week it was very quick less than half an hour in total with blood test. I am glad I had it done as I too will not be helped by the removal of my spleen. I had no ill effects from the indium apart from general tiredness but I think thats because I got myself a bit stressed out over it. Hope this helps you to make a decision about wether or not to have it done

Regards Janet

[Rachaely]

No facilities in Scotland but I'm booked in for the 3 days required at St Barts in London, 5-7 November. Camdengirl's description matches the schedule they've sent me, hopefully my platelets will have stopped their current rollercoaster ride and I'll have more than my current count of 28 by then (was 103 a couple of weeks ago, 42 a couple of weeks before that - my recent cold has made everything go haywire!)

[takari]

I agree with everyone about how it is done so no need to repeat that. I had mine done at Crouse Hospital in Syracuse, NY, USA. They will tell you that they do not do this test in the US but if they tell you that, don't listen. My hemo had never heard of the test but he checked and got it done for me.