Heart scintigraphy

Special information about this examination

Myocardial scintigraphy is usually used by your doctor to assess a possible undetected myocardial infarction or reduced blood circulation caused by physical stress. Tissue that has survived a myocardial infarction with restricted function can also be recognised (hibernating).

The method is also advisable after a bypass operation to confirm the bypasses are open. The examination offers the advantage of a quick overview of circulation without any major intervention in the vascular system (coronary angiography).

 

 

In general, molecules labelled Technetium, such as Tc 99m MIBI or Tetrofosmin, are used as substances today. Application: ca. 600 MBq per individual examination as intravenous injection.

First of all a stress test and then at another time (usually on the following day) a rest test are required for assessment. For the stress test you are put under maximum stress by an internist on a bicycle ergometer with ECG control and monitoring. The radiopharmaceutical is injected into a vein at the point of maximum stress.

 

Scintigraphy

 

General information on nuclear medicine

Nuclear medicine

More information

www.radiologie.de 
www.nuklearmedizin.de

Preparation:

No cardioactive medication is to be taken on the day of examination itself, if possible. Please discuss this with your referring doctor. You should initially be nil by mouth on the day of examination. After the substance has been administered you must eat a breakfast, according to our medical staff's instructions. The point of the breakfast is to completely empty the gall bladder fluid if possible, which temporarily stores part of the radioactive substance.

Images are produced for both the stress and rest study, by the camera head rotating around the thorax (SPECT). The patient is generally lying on their stomach. Conclusions can be made about the circulation from the activity distribution patterns in both studies.

The full examination takes between one to four hours on each examination day.

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