| Nuclear Stress Testing |
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The stress test shows if your heart receives enough blood from its own arteries to work harder, safely. Taking the stress test also helps your doctor know what type of exercise and how much is right for you. A nuclear stress test combines the treadmill portion with pictures (images) recorded on computerized gamma cameras. For the pictures the patient receives a small dose of a radioactive substance (isotope), which the cameras can see. The radioactive substance can be thallium-201 or technetium-99m sestamibi (Mibi). The basic stress test requires leads on the chest to provide the EKG signal. The EKG is the electrical signal the doctor monitors during the test. The doctor monitors your heart rate, heart rhythm, blood pressure, and looks for changes which suggest that the heart is not receiving enough blood for its needs. They will record an EKG at rest, at peak exercise, and afterwords. The doctor will ask about symptoms and how tired you feel. At peak exercise the doctor or technologist will inject the isotope. You will then have the images recorded. These pictures may take 30 minutes. Then you must wait for about 4 hours. During this time your heart will rest from the exercise. After resting, you will have a second set of images. For the second set, you may require a second injection of the isotope. The doctor will compare the 2 sets of pictures to determine if the study is normal or abnormal. |