How is a cardiac perfusion scan used?

Find Bockages: Myocardial perfusion imaging is typically combined with exercise. This test is used to diagnose coronary artery disease in patients with typical symptoms or patients with high risk for coronary artery disease.

Cardiac risk: The scan is used primarily to assess a person's risk of an adverse cardiac event (heart attack, cardiac death, urgent revascularizatioin) and to help guide medical therapy to reduce this risk. It is also used to evaluate response to therapy for heart disease.

Diagnosis, Risk: A cardiac perfusion scan helps diagnose coronary artery disease, helps guide medical management of heart disease, and helps assess response to therapy for various heart diseases.

Assess risk: 1. Determine blood flow to the heart at rest and at stress. The difference between these two can help determine risk of a major cardiac event such as a heart attack. 2. Determine cardiac size. 3. Determine cardiac function (left ventricular ejection fraction). 4. Determine exercise capacity. 5. Determine electrical (ECG) response to stress. These factors are used to help guide medical therapy.