Nuclear Medicine

You will exercise on a treadmill or you will be given a drug called Persantine. A small amount of radiation will be injected into the vein of your arm while at stress. We will then wait 30-45 minutes and take images using a gamma camera. The imaging takes 20 minutes.

No. There is no preparation for Part 1 and you should continue taking all medications as per usual. Please bring a list of your medications with you as you may need to discontinue certain medications for Part 2 (stress day).

During Part 1 we look at the blood flow to your heart muscle as you are resting. A small amount of radiation will be injected into the vein of your arm. We then wait for 30-45 minutes and then take images using a gamma camera. The imaging takes 20 minutes.

A myocardial perfusion test is a method of determining if there are any blockages present in the vessels (arteries) that supply blood to your heart. This is accomplished by looking at the blood supply to your heart muscle during both rest and stress.

If you would rather drink something other than water, that’s fine. It’s the volume of fluid that is consumed that is important, not the type.

Drinking extra helps flush the radiation which is not picked up by the bones out of your body. It also improves image quality by enhancing contrast between the bones and soft tissues. Please drink at least 750 – 1000 ml (3 – 4 cups) of fluid before returning for Part 2.

The time required between the two parts depends on factors such as the body part being imaged, the presence of underlying disease, and on camera availability. Each patient will be assessed individually by the technologist during Part 1 and given a time to return that is 2 – 5 hours later.

Part 1 takes approximately 15 minutes. Part 2 will take anywhere from 30 – 60 minutes depending on your medical history and where you are having pain.

The radioactive material is injected into the blood during the first part of the test but it takes a number of hours for the injection to be picked up by the bones.

No. There is no preparation necessary. Continue to take all medications as per usual.