What Is a Nuclear Heart Scan?
A nuclear heart scan is a type of medical test that
allows your doctor to get important information about the health of your heart.
During a nuclear heart scan, a safe, radioactive material called a tracer is
injected through a vein into your bloodstream. The tracer then travels to your
heart. The tracer releases energy, which special cameras outside of your body
detect. The cameras use the energy to create pictures of different parts of
your heart.
Nuclear heart scans are used for three main
purposes:
- To provide information about the flow of blood
throughout the heart muscle. If the scan shows that one part of the heart
muscle isn’t receiving blood, it’s a sign of a possible narrowing
or blockage in the coronary arteries (the arteries that supply blood and oxygen
to your heart). Decreased blood flow through the coronary arteries may mean you
have coronary
artery disease (CAD). CAD can lead to
angina,
heart
attack, and other heart problems. When a nuclear heart scan is performed
for this purpose, it’s called myocardial perfusion scanning.
- To look for damaged heart muscle. Damage may be
due to a previous heart attack, injury, infection, or medicine. When a nuclear
heart scan is performed for this purpose, it’s called myocardial
viability testing.
- To see how well your heart pumps blood out to
your body. When a nuclear heart scan is performed for this purpose, it’s
called ventricular function scanning.
Usually, two sets of pictures are taken during a
nuclear heart scan. The first set is taken when the heart is beating fast
due to you exercising. This is called a cardiac
stress
test. If you can’t exercise, your heart rate can be increased using
medicines such as adenosine, dipyridamole, or dobutamine.
The second set of pictures is taken later, when the
heart is at rest and beating at a normal rate.
July 2007
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