What is Stress Thalium ?!
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What is Stress Thalium ?
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What is a Nuclear Stress test?
A nuclear stress test is a non-invasive procedure that your doctor will use to determine if you have coronary artery disease (CAD). You will be injected with Thallium, a radioactive material, and the camera detects the rays from the Thallium because it is absorbed differently in healthy and damaged tissue. The nuclear test is preferable because it results in a better image because of the color difference.
How is a Nuclear Stress test done?
There are many blockages can't be determined until a stress test is done. In a nuclear stress test you are injected with radioactive material Thallium, once at rest and once during exercise. After each injection pictures are taken of the heart to determine if there are any blockages or defects. The heart's activity is also monitored by an EKG at rest and during exertion. Your doctor may do this procedure in a slightly different order.
Why is a nuclear stress test given?
A nuclear stress test is used for patients with
* Atypical chest pain
* Left bundle branch block - impulses are slowed or blocked in the left bundle branch of the heart.
* Serious multi-vessel disease suspected
* Undergoing preoperative clearance for non cardiac surgery
* Unable to exercise, therefore at a high risk for CAD
What does a nuclear stress test show?
A nuclear stress test shows:
* The extent of the artery blockage
* The effectiveness of a cardiac procedure
* The level of exercise a patient can tolerate
* The prognosis of MI (heart attack) patients
* The cause of chest pain
What do the test results mean?
* If both the rest and exercise pictures are normal then there is no blockage.
* If the rest picture is normal but the exercise picture is not then there is a blockage
* If both are abnormal then there is damage to the heart.
* Chest pain and shortness of breath can be indications of blockages in the coronary arteries.
How do I know if I can take a nuclear stress test?
You cannot have a nuclear stress test if you have:
* A pulmonary infection
* Coaction of the aorta - a constricted segment of the aorta that blocks blood flow
* Heart failure
* You are pregnant
How do I know if I have a poor prognosis?
There is a poor prognosis if there are
* Multiple reversible or nonreversible effects
* Reverse dilation
* Increased lung uptake of imaging agent more than 50%.