Nuclear Imaging Test/Nuclear Stress Test
This specialized imaging test provides your cardiologist with information about the flow of blood to your heart through the coronary arteries and your heart's pumping capability and overall health. To begin this test, a small, safe dose of a radioactive chemical is injected into your arm. It takes about 30 minutes for the chemical to circulate to your heart. At that time, you will be instructed to lie down on a table. A nuclear medicine camera slowly passes around your chest. This camera detects the radioactive material in your heart and creates a picture for the physician to examine.
After the first scan, a second dose is injected while you exercise on a treadmill. After completing the exercise, or stress, portion of the test, you are scanned a second time with the nuclear camera. By comparing the two images, the physician can determine the best course of treatment. | 