Preparation for the Exam

• You may eat lightly before the exam. If you are a diabetic, be sure to have a light snack before your appointment.
• No caffeine 24 hours prior to your scheduled appointment time. This includes coffee (regular and decaffeinated), tea, soda, chocolate and pain relievers that contain caffeine.
• If you are currently taking any heart, blood pressure or breathing medications, check with your Cardiologist. He/she may ask you to stop taking
  certain medications a day or two before your test.
• Wear comfortable clothing that is easy to remove. You may be asked to change into a gown. Good walking/running shoes should be worn.
• Bring a list of all your medications including dosage. Please do not apply anything to your skin such as oils, creams or powder immediately before the test.

THIS EXAM TAKES APPROXIMATELY
Two and a half to Three and a half Hours.

On the Day of Your Exam

• Upon arriving at The Wisconsin Heart Hospital, please stop at one of the Concierge Desks located in the north or south lobby. You will be directed to the Imaging Department where you will check in with the Imaging Department Coordinator.
• The Technologist will be with you as soon as possible.

What is a Nuclear Stress Test?

• A Nuclear Stress Test provides information about your heart’s ability to deal with an increased need for blood and oxygen which occurs during exercise.
• During a Nuclear Stress Test, an Electrocardiogram (ECG) records your heart’s electrical activity while you exercise on a treadmill, if you are able, or during the infusion of a stress agent.

Why Am I Having This Exam?

This test is performed for many reasons including:

• To diagnose disease of the arteries in the heart
• To help diagnose the cause of chest pain
• To determine the level of the heart’s physical condition
• To assess the degree of recovery after Coronary Bypass surgery or PTCA/Stent (Angioplasty)
• To determine how well the heart is recovering after a heart attack
• To identify the causes of irregular heart rhythms

What Should I Expect During My Test?

• You will be asked to complete paperwork and answer questions regarding your health history.
• The Nuclear Medicine Technologist will explain the exam. A small IV will be placed in your arm or hand so that a small amount of Myoview (a radioactive tracer) can be injected. The radioactive dose gives you less radiation exposure than what you would receive from a Chest X-Ray. Myoview is not a "dye" or "contrast" and it is not iodine based. Therefore, you will not have side effects or reactions from Myoview.
• Pictures will be taken of your heart at rest after a 30 minute wait. These pictures take about 20 minutes.
• For the Stress Test, electrodes will be placed on your chest. Your heart’s electrical activity will be recorded. Sometimes, hair needs to be shaved from the chest to ensure good contact with the skin.
• A blood pressure cuff will allow monitoring before, during, and after your Stress Test.
• If a pharmacological agent is used to stress the heart, some side effects may occur. All aspects of the test will be explained thoroughly before the exam begins.
  During the stress portion of the exam, another small amount of Myoview will be injected through the IV.
• The last set of images will be taken approximately 30 minutes post-stress injection and will again take approximately 20 minutes.

If you have any questions, please contact the
Imaging Department at (414) 778-7670.

For appointments, please contact the Scheduling
Department at (414) 778-7878.

What are the Other Common Names for this Test?

Cardiolite Stress Test, Persantine Stress Test, Adenosine Stress Test, Dobutamine Stress Test, Myocardial Perfusion Scan, or an exercise or Pharmacological Stress Test.