Safety Measurement You may be asked to change into a hospital gown. Because metal can interfere with the testing equipment, you’ll also need to remove any jewelry you’re wearing, including body-piercing jewelry. However, you cannot undergo a PET with nonapproved medical devices or metal implant. Preparation Before the scan, you’ll get tracers through a vein in your arm, through a solution you drink, or in a gas you inhale. Your body needs time to absorb the tracers, so you’ll wait about an hour before the scan begins. While you wait, you’ll want to limit any movement, relax, and try to stay warm. If you’re undergoing a brain scan, you’ll want to avoid television, music, and reading. The day before:- Twenty-four hours before your appointment, you’ll be asked to stick to a low-carbohydrate, no-sugar diet. Foods and beverages you should avoid include: cereal, pasta, bread, rice, milk and yogurt, whether dairy or nondairy, fruit and fruit juices, alcohol, caffeinated beverages, candy, including chewing gum and mints. Foods you can eat include meat, tofu, nuts, and non starchy vegetables.