The cardiology exams

THE SCINTIGRAPHY OF THE HEART

- Concrete achievement
- Results
- Indications

The recent progresses of electronics and the medical imaging permit to better analyse the structure and the function of the heart currently.

The scintigraphy of the heart permits to value the function of the cardiac muscle very well, and give information on its contraction capacities.

Because of the high cost of this device, its availability is rather limited. Thus, it is often necessary to go to a big city to benefit from this exam.

This exam consists in injecting by i.v. a compound taggedby a radioactive element, which settles down at the heart level. X-rays are then made with the help of a special device.

It is a painless exam, with an average length of 15 to 30 minutes, which does not present any complication.

CONCRETE ACHIEVEMENT

The patient is lying on his back, on a hard table, and the radiology device is placed right above him.

Displaying the scintigraphy of the heart device.

This device is capable of making a complete rotation around the body.

The active product is injected by i.v. with the help of a drip, which has been placed before.

The radiology device situated around the patient then moves around the heart. Radiological pictures are made.

In some cases, the radiologist must achieve in a second time a new injection of radioactive product, 6 or 24 hours later. This procedure allows the physician to compare the x-rays between the original phase and a few hours later.

This exam can also be achieved after an exercise test, in order to visualise the irrigation capacities of the heart muscle during an exercise.

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File last reviewed on dec 18, 2011