Myocardial Perfusion Scan (Investigations)

• Myocardial perfusion scan:

  • use a small amount of radioactive substance to create images which show blood flow to the heart muscle
  • looks at how well your heart muscle is being supplied with blood
• Myocardial perfusion scan:

  • usually divided into two parts – ‘stress’ and ‘rest’, as this helps doctors see the effects of stress (exercise) on your heart
  • For the ‘stress’ part of the test, you will be asked to exercise on a bike or treadmill
  • If you can’t do this, you may be given a medicine that raises your heart rate
  • You will then be injected with a small amount of radioactive substance so that your blood flow can be detected
  • After this, you will be asked to rest for about 30 to 45 minutes
• Myocardial perfusion scan:

  • A camera will be positioned close to your chest to take pictures of different parts of your heart
  • heart rate and blood pressure will be monitored closely
  • For the ‘rest’ part of the test, you will have a longer break of an hour or more
  • During this time, you will be asked to drink plenty to clear the radiation from your system.
  • Finally, you will then have another scan which involves the same injection and camera scan
  • the appointment takes about 4 hours