Tracking blood flow through your heart muscle

What is Cardiac Nuclear Testing?

Cardiac nuclear imaging is also called a perfusion scan. It is a way of checking blood flow through the muscle (or walls) of your heart. To do this, a tracer (a small amount of radioactive matter) is given to you through a vein in your arm. A camera scans the tracer in the blood as it flows through your heart muscle. This test may be done before, during, and after exercise. If you can't exercise, a drug is used to substitute for exercise.

Before the Test

The day before your test, you need to stop smoking and avoid caffeine. Don't eat or drink for 4 to 6 hours before the test. Sips of water are okay. Be sure to wear a two-piece outfit for the test. Although you don't have to exercise for long, allow 3 to 4 hours for the entire test. You may also have to come back for more pictures later in the day or the next day.

Let the technician know what medications you take, if you are diabetic, have knee or hip problems, arthritis, asthma, or chronic lung disease; if you have had a stroke or have vascular disease of the legs; if you are pregnant, think you might be, or are nursing.

During your Test

You may wear a hospital gown throughout the test. You may first have scanning pictures taken while you rest. To get your heart working hard, you need to exercise on a treadmill for several minutes. Speak up when you cannot exercise for even one more minute. At this point, the tracer is given to you through an intravenous (IV) line in your arm. If you can't exercise, you can be given a drug to substitute for exercise. When the exercise is over, you must lie very still for up to 30 minutes. A scanning camera will be taking pictures of blood flowing through your heart muscle.

Report any of these symptoms to the technician:

• Chest, arm or jaw discomfort
• Severe shortness of breath.
• Dizziness.
• Leg cramps or pain.

After your Test

Ask when you may eat and if you should take any medicine you were told to skip before the test. Most people can return to their normal routines as soon as all parts of the test are finished. The tracer leaves your body within hours.