Meckel's Scan

A Meckel’s scan looks for the presence of a Meckel’s diverticulum in the intestine. A Meckel’s diverticulum is an outpouching, or small pocket, in the wall of the large intestine. This exam is typically performed in the presence of painless rectal bleeding.

In preparation for this exam, your child may not eat or drink for 4 hours prior to your appointment time, this includes water and medications. As a reminder, birth assigned females 10 years of age and older will need to provide a urine sample prior to the start of the exam.

An IV will be placed for the exam. Our staff are well trained in safe placement and pain reduction techniques and will work with you to limit the discomfort of this necessity. Once the IV has been placed we will begin an infusion of a medication called famotidine. Famotidine is given at a safe dosage to enhance the quality and accuracy of the test. Generally, we do not sedate patients for this exam, but if needed our team will communicate that prior to the exam.

At the end of the infusion, your child will lie on our imaging table where we will administer the radiopharmaceutical and take pictures for the next hour. Dress your child comfortably, in clothes that are free from metal. To help your child successfully complete the exam, we have a variety of DVDs to choose from. Your child may also bring a favorite movie to watch during the exam.

Once the scan is complete, the images will be evaluated by a Radiologist. If the scan is satisfactory and no additional images are needed, your child will be free to leave and resume normal activity.