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Doctor insights on: Nuclear Cardiology

Cardiology: Cardiology will perform the majority of echocardiograms. If there is assessments of your vessels (carotid, aorta, veins) This may be done by vascular surgery cardiology, or radiology depending upon the referrer and local resources. In the setting pediatrics, it may be performed by a pediatric cardiologist or someone who specializes in fetal imaging. ...Read more

Radiation exposure: There most certainly is radiation exposure with nuclear cardiology stress testing whether it is with thallium, sestamibi, or any of the pet imaging agents. The exposure is minimal but real and the risk vs. Benefit to the patient needs to be considered before ordering the study. Pregnant women should not have these studies and young women can have a very small but increased risk of breast cancer. ...Read more

Stress Test: That uses a radioactive tracer to evaluate blood flow in the coronary arteries. Images are taken at peak exercise and at rest . These images are able to compare blood flow to the heart in specific territories supplied by each coronary artery and any flow disparity would be consistent with a potential blockage in that artery. ...Read more

The "Other" Guys: Interventional cardiologists are what they call themselves. Those are the guys who deploy stents. Many general cardiologists also do their own "diagnostic" catheterizations to look at, but not fix arteries. ...Read more

Caffeine: You should avoid caffeine and beta blockers, just because they interfere with the test. ...Read more

Depends on situation: Nuclear stress test involves looking at perfusion of heart for defective areas representing coronary artery disease looking for areas of permanent damage versus areas that are reversible possible related to area of coronary narrowing. Coronary ct angiogram looks at anatomy of coronary arteries looking for areas of narrowing and blockage.Answer depends on information physician needs and insurance. ...Read more

Interventional: Cardiologist

Pretty much all of: Them, with few exceptions.

Sounds like yes.: You should discuss this finding with your doctor, because a stress test is only an indirect measure of coronary artery disease. A lot depends on other risk factors. ...Read more

Normal : Low heart rates w/out symptoms can be nl in healthy active individuals. The fact that ur hr increases w/ movement is helpful and points towards normalcy. ...Read more

Either can, but: A pediatric cardiologist is specifically skilled in congenital heart disease, and is more likely to catch as much detail as possible. They can also counsel parents in more detail about discovered abnormalities. ...Read more

EF: Ejection fraction can vary depending on the type of test done (echo vs. cath vs. gated nuclear stress). Nuclear MUGA scan is most accurate since is depends on counts rather than the geometry of the ventricle. ...Read more

Well...: Since you had a cardiac nuclear scan, I assume your doctors were looking for coronary artery disease. You seem to be a smoker, which makes artery disease worse. So smoking is not a good thing for you, and you should try to stop. Having said that, you are probably not in any more immediate risk for heart problem for smoking after the nuclear exam. Long term risks are greater with smoking. ...Read more

SOB : The description doesn't provide enough specific information to know the problem. There may be heart abnormalities suggested by symptoms and tests which require further investigation. You should ask the doctors with the information specific to you. ...Read more

Tests: in your age group the tests you had suggest that you presently have no significant problems with coronary blood flow. You won't get a guarantee for the future but good diet, exercise along with no smoking and medical follow up will be prudent. ...Read more

Ischemia...: Most hearts have physiologic apical thinning which can sometimes be misinterpreted on nuclear stress test images. In addition, stress test images in patients with left bundle branch block can appear as septal ischemia if exercise stress is done rather than pharmacologic. The fact that both the apex and septum are involved in your case make it more likely to be real ischemia probably in lad. ...Read more

Not usually: Not usually nuclear medicine affecting ct but the opposite. However ct scan with intravenous iodine contrast materials can affect thyroid scans and thyroid uptake. Renal GFR studies using glofil with i125 are also affected by iodine contrast of ct. ...Read more

Ep: An individual trained to work with a specialist in evaluating heart rhythms ...Read more

NO: Nuclear stress test are done to evaluate coronary circulation/ blockages/CAD. As lagniappe they provide info re LV function. However, there are less expensive and invasive test that evaluate LV function just as well or better, like echocardiography ...Read more

All important: All are important -- ekg provides electrical and rhythm information. Much can be learned from an ekg. Angiogram/cardiac ct provides anatomic information about coronary arteries and myocardium (muscle of the heart). ...Read more