Stress Tests / Nuclear Stress Tests     

Stress tests are screening tools to help detect heart disease. EKG monitoring is performed while you walk on a treadmill. The speed and incline of the treadmill increase every three minutes until you reach a maximum heart rate, become fatigued, develop symptoms, or have specific EKG changes.

Nuclear stress tests, commonly performed as dual isotope stress tests or thallium stress tests, use radioactive tracers including Thallium-201 and Myoview to image the heart at rest and following treadmill exercise. You lie flat under an imaging camera for roughly 15 minutes before and after the treadmill test. Nuclear stress tests increase the sensitivity of routine treadmill testing, and allow specific assessment of different areas of the heart muscle.

If you are unable to walk on the treadmill or have specific conduction defects on your EKG, a Adenosine stress test may be ordered. Intravenous Adenosine dilates the heart arteries and mimics the effect of walking on the treadmill. Adenosine is followed by nuclear imaging. Adenosine is not suitable for asthmatics.

The Dobutamine dual isotope stress test substitutes intravenous dobutamine for adenosine. Dobutamine stresses the heart by increasing the heart rate and its contractility. Nuclear imaging is performed before and after Dobutamine infusion.

Patient Preparation:

• No food or drink four (4) hours before the test.
   
• No caffeine 24 hours before the test.
   
• Take your medications with sips of water unless otherwise instructed.
   
• Wear loose, comfortable clothing and shoes suitable for walking.
   
• Bring a list of current medications.
   
• Plan on spending one (1) hour for a regular stress test and four (4) hours for a nuclear stress test.