Description
Technetium Tc 99m pentetate injection is a radiopharmaceutical. Radiopharmaceuticals are radioactive agents, which may be used to find and treat certain diseases or to study the function of the body's organs.
Technetium Tc 99m pentetate injection is used to help your doctor see an image of your kidneys and assess how well they are working. It is also used to help your doctor see an image of your brain.
Technetium Tc 99m pentetate injection is also used to help your doctor see an image of your lungs, to see how well they are working and to evaluate patients with blood clots in the lungs.
This medicine is to be given only by or under the direct supervision of a doctor with specialized training in nuclear medicine.
Before Using
In deciding to use a diagnostic test, any risks of the test must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. Also, other things may affect test results. For this test, the following should be considered:
Allergies
Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.
Pediatric
Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated pediatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of technetium Tc 99m pentetate injection in children to use for the imaging of the lungs and kidneys. Safety and efficacy have not been established in children to use for the imaging of the brain.
Geriatric
Although appropriate studies on the relationship of age to the effects of technetium Tc 99m pentetate injection have not been performed in the geriatric population, no geriatric-specific problems have been documented to date. However, elderly patients are more likely to have age-related liver, kidney, or heart problems, which may require caution and an adjustment in the dose for patients receiving this medicine.
Breastfeeding
There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.
Drug Interactions
Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. Tell your healthcare professional if you are taking any other prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicine.
Other Interactions
Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.
Other Medical Problems
The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this diagnostic test. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:
- Lung or breathing problems (eg, asthma)—Use with caution. May make this condition worse.
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)—The image quality of the lung scan may be affected in patients with this condition.
- Kidney disease—The image quality of the kidney or brain scan may be affected in patients with this condition.
Proper Use
A doctor or other trained health professional will give you this medicine. It is given through a needle placed into one of your veins before you have a brain or kidney scan. It may also be given using a nebulizer before you have a lung scan.
You will need to rinse your mouth, cough, and spit out the medicine from your throat after receiving it using a nebulizer.
You will need to urinate right away and as often as you can for 4 to 6 hours after receiving this medicine. Drink plenty of fluids before and after receiving this medicine so you will pass more urine. This will help flush the medicine from your body.
Precautions
It is very important that your doctor check you closely while you are receiving this medicine. This will allow your doctor to see if the medicine is working properly and to decide if you should continue to use it.
While using this medicine, you may be exposed to radiation. Talk with your doctor if you have concerns about this.
This medicine may cause lung or breathing problems. Tell your doctor if you have cough, difficulty breathing, noisy breathing, shortness of breath, or tightness in the chest.
Side Effects
Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Check with your doctor or nurse immediately if any of the following side effects occur:
Incidence not known
- Bluish color of fingernails, lips, skin, palms, or nail beds
- blurred vision
- chills
- confusion
- cough
- difficulty with swallowing
- dizziness
- dizziness, faintness, or lightheadedness when getting up suddenly from a lying or sitting position
- fast, pounding, or irregular heartbeat or pulse
- fever
- headache
- hives, itching, skin rash
- large, hive-like swelling on the face, eyelids, lips, tongue, throat, hands, legs, feet, or sex organs
- pounding in the ears
- puffiness or swelling of the eyelids or around the eyes, face, lips, or tongue
- throat irritation
- tightness in the chest
- unusual tiredness or weakness
Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:
Incidence not known
- Bleeding, blistering, burning, coldness, discoloration of the skin, feeling of pressure, hives, infection, inflammation, itching, lumps, numbness, pain, rash, redness, scarring, soreness, stinging, swelling, tenderness, tingling, ulceration, or warmth at the injection site
- nausea
- vomiting
Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
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