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Nuclear Services In Utica, NY
A nuclear stress test, sometimes referred to as a "cardiolite" or "thallium" test, lets doctors see pictures of a patient's heart while he or she is resting and shortly after the patient has exercised. The test can show how well the heart is pumping blood and if the heart has any damaged muscle.
Nuclear stress tests can also give doctors information about the patient's arteries and whether they might be narrowed or blocked because of coronary artery disease (CAD). Radioactive agents, called "tracers," are injected to produce an image of the heart. These agents are widely used and very safe. Although nuclear testing is usually done in conjunction with an exercise stress test on a treadmill, it can also be performed using medication that simulate the effects of exercise on the heart.
Cardiac Services include (but are not limited to) the following:
- Nuclear Stress Testing/Exercise 8 Pharmacology
- Muga Test
- Thalium Test
- Dobutamine Stress Test
- PET/CT Nuclear Stress Test
Once the trackers have an opportunity to produce a clear image, a nuclear scan shows how well blood flows to the heart muscle; while the patient lies down on a table, a camera generates images of the heart's blood flow both at rest and following stress.
These tests are proven to be safe, with the amount of radiation administered comparable to that from an X-ray. Cardiologists, nurses and technologists at Central New York Cardiology with expertise in nuclear cardiology supervise and analyze these tests, using the results to prepare a treatment plan that's unique to each individual patient and to possibly plan an intervention if it appears arteries are dangerously narrowed or blocked.
