What are the indications for this test?

  • Identify and locate Coronary Artery Disease 
  • Chest Pain, Evaluate narrowing or blockages in the major arteries or the heart.
  • Evaluate blood flow to the heart following surgery bypass or stents.
  • Check heart function prior to surgery to ensure the heart will withstand anaesthetic administered during surgery.
  • Evaluation of the electrical signal of the heart under resting and stress conditions

What are the benefits of having this scan?

This will allow the your Doctor to decide upon the best management and treatment options in regards to your heart. A Nuclear Medicine Cardiac study enable the blood flow to the heart to be assessed in both a resting and stressed state. The electrical signal is assessed under both conditions. This is a comprehensive method of looking at the heart with an accuracy of 99.3%.

How long Does this test take?

4-5 hours

What is the Preparation? (Download MIBI prep sheet)

  • Fast for at least 6 hours before the test – no food but you should keep drinking water.
  • Stop all caffeine containing drinks such as tea, coffee, coca cola, energy drinks, and chocolates. 
  • Clothing – You will need to wear a front buttoning blouse/shirt. Comfortable shoes for exercising.

Can I take my medication on the morning of the test?

Take all your normal tablets on the morning of the test with water only, unless your cardiologist tells you not to.
If DIABETIC - Do NOT take your diabetic tablets on the day of the test and only take half your normal dose of insulin. 

Tell staff at CNI if you are taking any medicines, including erection-enhancing medicines (such as Cialis, Levitra, or Viagra). You may need to take nitroglycerin during this test, which can cause a serious reaction if you have taken an erection-enhancing medicine within the previous 48 hours. Ask your doctor whether you need to stop taking any of your other medicines before the test (especially Persantin tablets).

BRING ALL YOUR MEDICATION WITH YOU ON THE DAY OF THE TEST.

What does this test involve?

  1. A cannula is placed in the arm. 
  2. A radioactive injection is administered through the cannula. You will feel no different. 
  3. A scan of the heart in a resting state is taken. The camera moves around the chest in a 180 degree arc for a period of 10-15 minutes. 
  4. A stress test is performed by a physician. 

    • There are two methods to (i) On a treadmill or alternatively (ii) Using a drug to increase blood flow to the heart over a 4 minute period.

  5.  Another Scan is performed to visualise the blood flow to the heart under the stressed state. This is taken for the same length of time. 
  6. A normal diet is then resumed. 

What are the side effects?

You may experience some cardiac symptoms such as shortness of breath or Chest pain during the stress test. these are quite Normal. You are able to drive.

Precautions to follow following your test?

As a result of you test you will be giving off a small amount of radiation. It is advised that you limit time spent in close proximity to pregnant women and children for 24 hours following the test. 


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