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Cardiolite® Stress Test

What can it be?

A Cardiolite® stress test takes images of your heart muscles and blood vessels (blood vessels). As you`re exercising, this test will be done. Exercise makes your heart work harder. This test will reveal caregivers how your heart works when it needs to perform hard. This really is a kind of nuclear medicine scan that is known as imaging.

Why do I need a Cardiolite® stress test?

The test helps doctors diagnose coronary artery disease. This is a state. The test helps caregivers find. The test may also show areas that have been damaged after having a heart attack.

Who must not have this evaluation?

Tell your caregiver prior to the test if you might be or are not pregnant. Caregivers can suggest waiting before your baby is born to get the test. Tell caregivers if you are breast feeding. They could suggest waiting until when you have finished breast feeding your baby, to get the test. Otherwise, you might be unable to get this test when you have health conditions or heart. These conditions include left ventricular hypertrophy bundle branch block, or low blood potassium.

What if I do to prepare for your own Cardiolite® strain evaluation?

• Do not eat or drink anything except water for six hours before the test. Do not drink or eat anything with caffeine for 24 hours (daily ) before the test. Caffeine could be found in some kinds of coffee, tea, soda, chocolate, sports foods and drinks.
• Do not use any medicines (over-the-counter or prescribed) which contain caffeine for 24 hours (1 day) before the test. These include Excedrin ®, Anacin ®, Darvon®, or Fiorinal®.
• Do not smoke or use chewing tobacco for six hours before the test.
• Wear or bring cozy, weatherproof clothes and walking shoes.
• Bring a set of medicines you are taking, or bring the pill bottles. In the event that you have to stop taking any one of your usual drugs before the test for an occasion, ask caregivers.
• When you have diabetes and are taking insulin, ask caregivers if you have to modify the amount of insulin that you are taking.
• Tell your caregiver if you choose any medicine that`s xanthine (ZAN-theen) inside. Some of the drugs consist of theophylline (Slo-bid™, Theo-dur®) and pentoxifylline (Trental®). You might have to stop taking the medicine for several days before the test.
• Cease taking sildenafil citrate (Viagra®) for 48 hours (two weeks ) before this test. You may be given medicine nitroglycerin to take care of if you have chest pain in this evaluation. This medicine may cause very low blood pressure in people who have recently taken Viagra®.

How is a Cardiolite® stress test performed?

• If you reach the Nuclear Medicine section, you`ll have to change into comfortable clothes. A caregiver places an IV (intravenous line) to a vein, usually on your hand or arm. Electrodes (patches) are put on your chest. The electrodes listing your electrocardiogram (ee-lek-troh-KAHR-dee-oh-gram) or"EKG". This is a test that shows that one`s heart`s activity.
• You will start walking on a treadmill, or pedaling on a stationary bicycle. The speed and incline of the treadmill, or the bicycle`s resistance will increase every three minutes.
• A tracer chemical called Cardiolite® is placed in to the IV when your heart rate reaches a particular speed. The tracer goes in to heart muscle and moves through the blood. Heart muscle that doesn`t have enough blood source takes in the Cardiolite® not in all, or slowly.
• You may exercise approximately nine to 12 minutes. From then on, you will break for five to ten minutes. During this moment, caregivers will see your EKG and blood pressure.
• A single hour later exercising, you will go to the radiology section. There you are going to have a scan. The scan takes about 30 minutes to perform. The scan shows aspects of blocked or thin vessels, or are as of heart muscle that is damaged.
• You might possibly require another scan on another day, when you are resting. For this evaluation, you are not going to have to use on a treadmill or bike. Do not eat, drink, smoke, use tobacco, or take caffeine for six hours before this test is done.

What will I feel during the exam?

When the IV is devote your vein, you could feel discomfort. Tell caregivers if you have chest pain, feel short of breath, have thighs, or feel dizzy.

What do I have to perform after the scan?

Because you did before the test activities may be continued by you, eat drink, and take your normal medicines. Drink loads of fluids, such as juices and water to help nourish the tracer out of your entire physique. The tracer leaves your body fast. Your caregiver will tell you to flush the toilet three times. This makes sure the small quantity of tracer departing your system doesn`t stay in the toilet bowl.

Risks:

• You might feel nauseated (sick to your stomach) or vomit (throw up) during or after this test. A person have an allergic reaction, or may possibly produce swelling, a rash. The place where your IV is might bleed, become red, swollen, painful, or infected. There`s a probability you can become short of breath during or after. You have heart beats may possibly get low blood pressure, or have a heart attack. Caregivers will watch for and treat these problems. The radiation that is from the Cardiolite® is secure and small. The camera used to the scan will not take x-rays.
• In case you do not have a Cardiolite® stress test, caregivers might not be in a position to decide what would be the best look after your health state. Your condition might become worse or you can perish. Call your caregiver if you are worried or have questions about your medicine or care.

Care Agreement

You have the right. To help with this plan, you must learn about your wellbeing condition and how it can be treated. You can then discuss treatment options with your doctor. Work with them to decide what care can be utilized to treat you. You always have the right to deny treatment.

Further info

Always seek advice from your healthcare provider to ensure the information pertains to your circumstances.