Heart Scan Procedure

A heart scan is an imaging test carried out with help of a radioactive substance (called a tracer) to search for disease or poor blood flow in the heart. The scan also can tell your doctor whether parts of your heart are healthy or contain scar tissue.
During heart scans , the health care provider will administer a small amount of a radioactive material into one of your veins, usually on the inside of the elbow. The substance will then travel through the blood and get collected in the tissues of the heart. You will be made to wait nearby as the radioactive substance is absorbed by your body, which usually takes about an hour. Images are taken and sent to a computer, where they are displayed on a monitor for the health care provider to read. Abnormal results in the heart scan will signify coronary artery disease, heart failure or cardiomyopathy.
The amount of radiation used in the scan is about the same as in most CT scans and is low. However, pregnant or nursing women should let their doctor know before having this test. In rare cases, patients may have an allergic reaction to the radioactive tracer