LUNG PERFUSION

A lung perfusion scan is a test to see

how blood flows to the lungs

ANATOMY

INDICATION
the diagnosis of a suspected
pulmonary embolus; and
the assessment of regional lung
function.
Other indications are quantifying
right to left shunts and differential
pulmonary blood flow

PATIENT PREPARATION
How to Prepare for the Test
You do not need to stop eating (fast),
eat a special diet, or take any
medications before the test.
A chest x-ray is usually done before
or after a ventilation and perfusion
scan.
You wear a hospital gown or
comfortable clothing that does not
have metal fasteners.

PROCEDURE
A pulmonary ventilation/perfusion scan is a series of
two scans that measure how well air and blood are
able to flow through your lungs (ventilation scan), as
well as the blood supply through the lungs (perfusion
scan). The scans are either performed together or
one after the other, but are often discussed as one
scan: the pulmonary ventilation/perfusion scan.
During a pulmonary ventilation/perfusion scan, a
radioactive dye is injected into your veins. This dye
will show up on a special type of scanner, and will
give your doctor information about how well your
lungs are working. The dye will gather at areas of
abnormal blood flow, which may indicate a blockage
in the lung artery.

 During the perfusion scan, a health care

provider injects radioactive albumin into
your vein. You are placed on a movable
table that is under the arm of a scanner. The
machine scans your lungs as blood flows
through them to find the location of the
radioactive particles.
During the ventilation scan, you breathe in
radioactive gas through a mask while you
are sitting or lying on a table under the
scanner arm.
This test may also be called a V/Q scan or a
radionuclide pulmonary scan

DISEASES

PNEUMONIA
is an infection that
inflames the air sacs
in one or both lungs.
The air sacs may fill
with fluid or pus
(purulent material),
causing cough with
phlegm or pus, fever,
chills, and difficulty
breathing

PNEUMOTHORAX
the presence of
air or gas in the
cavity between
the lungs and the
chest wall,
causing collapse
of the lung

LUNG CANCER
Lung cancer is a
type of cancer that
begins in the lungs.
Your lungs are two
spongy organs in
your chest that take
in oxygen when you
inhale and release
carbon dioxide
when you exhale

ACUTE RESPIRATORY DISTRESS SYNDROME (ARDS)

occurs when fluid

builds up in the
tiny, elastic air
sacs (alveoli) in
your lungs. More
fluid in your
lungs means less
oxygen can reach
your bloodstream

PLEURAL EFFUSION
A pleural
effusion is a
buildup of fluid
between the
layers of tissue
that line the
lungs and chest
cavity

CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY

DISEASE (COPD)

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

(COPD) is a chronic inflammatory lung
disease that causes obstructed airflow from
the lungs

INTERSTITIAL LUNG DISEASE

Interstitial lung disease
describes a large group of
disorders characterized by
progressive scarring of the
lung tissue between and
supporting the air sacs.
The scarring associated
with interstitial lung
disease may cause
progressive lung stiffness,
eventually affecting your
ability to breathe and get
enough oxygen into your
bloodstream.

PULMONARY EDEMA
Pulmonary
edema is an
abnormal
buildup of fluid
in the lungs.
This buildup of
fluid leads to
shortness of
breath

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