Nuclear Stress Test
What is Nuclear Stress Testing?
Nuclear Stress Tests demonstrate how well blood is flowing to your heart muscle. This procedure aids your doctor in determining the presence of coronary artery disease, adequacy of blood flow through the arteries, bypass grafts, and/or the amount of muscle damage if you have experienced a heart attack. The procedure is performed in two segments: one with exercise and one at rest. *Due to time intervals and imaging requirements, please plan to spend the better part of your day here at the laboratory.
Nuclear Stress Testing uses a small amount of radioactive pharmaceutical, given intravenously, to image your heart muscle. The radioactive pharmaceutical circulates to the heart muscle in proportion to the blood that flows to it.
A special camera called a gamma camera scans your heart muscle. The radioactivity emitted from the pharmaceutical in your heart is detected by the gamma camera, and a picture is made. Neither you nor any member of the nuclear medicine team encounters any significant risks from the pharmaceutical material or the gamma camera. The camera is simply a detection device and does not give off any radiation.
Note: Since radiation is involved with the procedure, please inform the technologist if there is any chance you may be pregnant.
Your Preparation
- DO NOT eat or drink after midnight the night prior to your exam.
- DO NOT eat or drink any caffeinated products 24 hours prior to your test; this includes coffee, tea, soft drinks, chocolate, decaffeinated coffee, and decaffeinated tea.
- NO smoking 24 hrs before your exam.
- If you are doing the treadmill portion of the test, wear pants or shorts and bring comfortable walking shoes.
- If you take Theophylline* based medications, avoid taking them 48 hours prior to your test.
- Do NOT take your medications the morning of your exam unless instructed to by your physician.
(Bring your meds with you.)
Exception: If you are taking insulin, you must reduce your insulin by 50% and drink a glass of orange juice the morning of your exam.
Procedure
- You will have an I.V. line placed into a vein in your arm by a nurse.
- The nuclear technologist will give you a dosage of isotope, which is a radioactive material that allows the doctor to obtain clear, sharp images of your heart. You will drink some water and wait in a waiting area for 1 hour before a series of images are taken of your heart at rest.
- A nurse will prepare you for the stress portion of the test by attaching 10 electrodes to your chest that monitor your heart rhythm. A blood pressure cuff will be placed on your arm to monitor blood pressure.
If you are performing the treadmill portion of the test...
Under the direct supervision of a cardiologist, you will walk on a treadmill which will increase in speed and incline every three minutes. When you reach your target heart rate, a second dosage of isotope is injected. You will continue to exercise on the treadmill for one minute post injection to allow the isotope to distribute completely to your heart. After a waiting period you will be positioned under the gamma camera to obtain a second set of images of your heart.
If your doctor determines that you are unable to perform the treadmill portion of this test...
Under the direct supervision of a cardiologist, you will be given medication through your I.V which is used to simulate the same stress placed on your heart as if you were walking on the treadmill.
A few minutes after this medication is injected, a second dosage of isotope will be injected through your I.V. A continuous EKG will be recorded during the procedure. After a waiting period a second set of pictures will then be taken under the gamma camera.
* Theo-24®, Theovent® Long -Acting, Slo-bid Gyrocaps®, Theospan®-SR, Theobid® Jr. Duracap®, Theophylline S.R., Slo-Phyllin® Gyrocaps®, Quibron®-T/SR, Theolair™-SR, Theo-Dur®, Theoclear® L.A., Bronkodyl®, Sustaire®, Uniphyl®, Theo-Dur®Sprink, Elixophyllin® SR, Constant-T®, Theochron™, Theobid® Duracap, Aerolate, Respbid®
Your physician has a complete list of Theophylline meds.