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Cardiolite Stress Test

What is a Cardiolite stress test?
The Cardiolite stress test lets your doctor look at the flow of blood to the heart muscle. The test uses a small amount of radioactive material to assess blood flow and the function of your heart. Questions that can be answered for this procedure include:

  1. Is your heart receiving enough blood?
  2. Do you have coronary artery disease?
  3. Is further testing necessary?

What is coronary artery disease?
Coronary artery disease is the narrowing (stenosis) of the arteries that serve the heart. The narrowing is frequently caused by a build-up of fatty deposits (plaque) on the inside of the artery. Narrowed arteries reduce blood flow, which reduces the amount of oxygen and other nutrients the heart receives. Without proper nutrients, the health of the heart suffers. An unhealthy heart cannot pump efficiently, which may lead to chest pain.

What happens during the test?
This test takes three to four hours.

  1. An IV line will be placed in your hand or arm.
  2. An injection of Cardiolite will be given while you are at rest.
  3. Following a short wait, a special camera will take pictures of your heart. This will last about 15 minutes.
  4. Several small pads called electrodes will be placed on your chest. The pads are connected to an electrocardio-graph (ECG) to monitor your heart rhythm.
  5. You may walk on the treadmill or be infused with a drug that exercises your heart as if you were on the treadmill, depending on what your doctor has ordered for you. You will be asked to walk on a treadmill until you achieve an acceptable heart rate. Even if you receive a drug to stress your heart, it may still be necessary to exercise minimally.
  6. An injection of Cardiolite will be given through your IV while your heart is at stress.
  7. Following a short wait, the technologist will scan your heart again. This scan will last about 15 minutes.
  8. This test should not impair your normal activities. If you are able to drive yourself to GRMC, you will NOT need someone to drive you home.