48 HOURS BEFORE
Do not take any of the following medications 48 hours before your test: Persantine, Aggrenox,
Theophylline, Theo-Dur, Dipyridamole, and Aminophylline. If in doubt, please consult with your
referring physician.
24 HOURS BEFORE
Do not eat or drink anything that has caffeine, including coffee, decaffeinated coffee, decaffeinated
products, tea, Excedrin, chocolate, cocoa, herbal teas or soda for 24 hours before your exam. Caffeine will interfere with the results of the test. Drinking juice, Gatorade, and water are okay. Drink plenty of fluids the morning of the test so that you are well hydrated.
4 HOURS BEFORE
Do not eat or drink anything except water, juice, and Gatorade. DIABETIC PATIENTS ONLY: If you are an insulin dependent diabetic patient, you should take half of your normal insulin dose the morning of your test.
REMINDERS
- Do NOT wear lotions, oils, or powders on your chest area. Do not wear perfumes or body sprays.
- Wear a comfortable two-piece outfit and do not wear jewelry the day of your test.
- Do NOT use any Nitroglycerin patches or long-acting oral nitrates, such as lsosorbide, lmdur, lsordil, Sorbitrate, lsma, or Monoket
- Take all unrestricted medications as you normally would
- Plan to be at our office for 1-2 hours
WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU ARRIVE:
- The test will take approximately one hour to complete.
- An IV line will be placed in a vein in your arm to allow administration of medication during the exam.
- Small pads called electrodes will be placed on your chest so that the medical team can monitor the electrical activity of your heart throughout the study.
- You will be asked to lie on a scanning table made especially for the PET camera.
- A small amount of radiation exposure you receive is considered safe by the National Council On Radiation
PROTECTION & MEASUREMENTS:
- A PET camera will take pictures of your heart in two phases: a resting phase and a stress phase.
- These phases are then compared to allow for the assessment of blood flow through your heart and/or to look for prior damage to the heart muscle.
WHAT TO EXPECT DURING THE SCAN:
- The Cardiac PET MPI images, or scan and stress test take about 30 minutes. Typically, you will be at the facility about one hour.
- You will lie on a comfortable, padded table. The table will move slowly through the donut-shaped PET/CT scanner as it acquires the information needed to generate diagnostic pictures.
- You will be asked to lie very still and be given breathing instructions during the scan because movement can interfere with the results.
- A technologist will monitor you during the exam and answer your questions
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE SCAN:
- In most cases, you may leave as soon as the Cardiac PET MPI study is complete
- Unless you have received special instructions, you will be able to eat and drink immediately. Drinking a lot of fluids soon after the scan will help remove any of the tracer that may still be in your system.
- When the scan is complete, and interpreting physician (specially trained medical imaging physician) will review your pictures. Your ordering physician will receive a report detailing the findings of your scan and will follow-up with you.
SAFETY OF CARDIAC PET/CT SCANS – Be assured that PET/CT scans are a safe and effective diagnostic procedure. The tracer used will not remain in your system long, so there is no reason to avoid interacting with other people once you leave the facility.
To help ensure your appointment can proceed as scheduled, please follow the instructions provided. Missed appointments, including general no-shows or appointments that must be rescheduled due to noncompliance, may be subject to a fee.
**If you have any questions regarding your test or if you need to cancel or reschedule for ANY reason please **call (314) 741-0911**
