Radionuclide Angiography, Resting and Exercise

Overview

What is Radionuclide Angiography, Resting and Exercise?
Radionuclide angiography (RNA) is an imaging procedure used to examine the heart's chambers in motion. A special camera will make recordings of your heart wall at work, like a motion picture. These recordings will be synchronized with your heartbeat by using your EKG (electrocardiogram, or recording of the heart's electrical activity). A cardiologist (a physician who specializes in heart disease) specially trained in nuclear cardiology will study the films to evaluate your heart's pumping function and ejection fraction (the volume of blood pumped out with each heartbeat). An RNA procedure with rest and exercise is performed to assist the physician in assessing the heart’s function during exercise after comparing it to the heart's function at rest. If the heart muscle does not move in a normal manner, and/or a less-than-normal amount of blood is pumped out by the heart, this can indicate one or more of the following:

• injury to the heart muscle, possibly as a result of decreased blood flow to heart muscle due to clogged coronary arteries
  
  
• an enlargement of one or more of the heart’s chambers
  
  
• aneurysm (a weak spot in the heart muscle)
  
  
• toxic effects of certain medications

Reasons for the Procedure
Your physician will schedule you for an RNA procedure if you have recently had one or more episodes of cardiac symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, fatigue, or a combination of any of these, and if a screening examination (such as an EKG) suggests a possibility of some type of heart disease process that needs to be explored further. There may be other reasons for your physician to recommend an RNA procedure, as well.

Risks of the Procedure
Even though radioactive medication is injected into your vein for this procedure, this medication is used in extremely small amounts and does not present any exposure hazard to you or your family.

NOTE: This test should not be performed on pregnant women. If you are pregnant or suspect you may be pregnant, or if you are a nursing mother, you should inform your physician.

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