Introduction

A red blood cell (RBC) bleed scan is an imaging test that helps find where bleeding may be happening inside your child’s tummy or digestive system.

The digestive system is also known as the gastrointestinal tract. It is made up of the: 

• mouth
• oesophagus
• stomach
• small intestine
• large intestine
• rectum
• anus.

The RBC bleed study uses: 

• a Gamma camera – a large camera that measures radiation
• radiotracer- a small amount of radioactive fluid that moves through the body

The gamma camera takes pictures of the radiotracer moving through your child’s body, helping to find any bleeding that might be happening inside the tummy or digestive system.

A bleed scan can be done to check:

• where internal bleeding is coming from inside the digestive system, like the stomach or bowel
• rare bleeding in other parts of the body

 The scan works best if your child is bleeding at the time the pictures are taken. 

If there is no active bleeding during the scan, it may not show where the bleeding is coming from.

Your child can eat and drink normally before the scan. Your child will be weighed to help calculate the correct amount of radiotracer.

The risks of radiation and allergic reactions are very low. Let your child’s treatment team know if they have any allergies. 

Your child will not feel anything during the scan, and the camera will not touch them. 

 The whole scan takes about two hours. You can stay with your child for most of this time. 

You may be asked to briefly leave the room if your child needs an extra X-ray scan.

Generally, the scan has two parts, with a short break in between:

 Part 1: Preparing the blood

1. a small amount of blood is taken with a small ‘butterfly’ needle
   • if your child has a central line, this may be used instead
2. the nuclear medicine team mixes the radiotracer with the blood sample
3. you and your child will leave the department and return to the department around 45 minutes later for part 2.

 Part 2: The scan

1. your child will lie on the scanning bed
2. a blanket with velcro straps may be used to help keep your child still
3. the blood mixed with radiotracer is gently injected back into your child using a butterfly needle
   • if your child has a central line, this may be used instead
4. over 60 minutes, the camera will take pictures of your child’s tummy.

The nuclear medicine team will let you know if you need extra scans.

You can leave once the images are checked by a doctor or nuclear medicine scientist.

The results will be sent to your child’s doctor within a couple of days. You will need to schedule a follow-up appointment with your child’s doctor to discuss the results.