* Inform your physician if you are pregnant or breast feeding.
The level of radioactivity used for this exam is extremely low and has no side effects.You will be positioned on an imaging table, under a special detector called a gamma camera.  The camera does not produce any radiation.  It will be placed close to your chest and will rotate around you.

Patient Preparation
Do not eat or drink anything after midnight the day before your exam.  Do not consume any product containing caffeine, such as decaffeinated coffee, tea, Excedrin, certain caffeinated soft drinks, etc. for 24-hours prior to the test. Informed consent will be obtained.  Do not take beta-blockers or calcium channel blockers the day of the exam.  Bring them to the test with you. 

Procedure
You will be given a stress test either on a treadmill or by use of medications.  You will be supervised by an RN and monitored during the stress portion of the test. 

For the resting portion, a small amount of a radioactive material will be injected into an IV catheter placed in your arm.  Following this, painless images will be taken 45 minutes to one hour later. You will be asked to place your arms above your head for the images. This will take approximately 25 minutes. 

For the stress portion, a second injection of a radioactive material is then administered into the IV catheter during the exercise/pharmacologic test. Images are then taken 45 minutes to one hour following that injection. They will take about 25 minutes. You will be allowed to eat at anytime after your stress test is complete. Plan to be in our department for three to six hours.