What Happens During the Test?

Cardiac perfusion imaging is generally performed at a clinic, test center, or hospital. It may be done on a single day or on two separate days.

Usually, two sets of images are taken. One set is taken after exercise, and another set after a period of rest. Depending on the facility's routine, either the exercise or the rest part may be done first.

 Exercise Portion

Several electrodes (small sticky patches) will be placed on your chest to monitor your heartbeat during the test. An intravenous (IV) line will be inserted into a vein in your arm, so that the tracer can be injected.

You then walk on a treadmill. The treadmill moves slowly at first, then the speed and incline gradually increase.

Be sure to report any symptoms, such as chest pain or discomfort, dizziness, or severe shortness of breath. Try to exercise for as long as you can, because the more you exercise, the more accurate the test will be.

When you reach a point where you feel you cannot exercise for much longer, let the exercise technologist know. The technologist will inject the tracer into the intravenous line. You will then be asked to exercise for another minute or two after the injection.

Next, you lie flat on a special table under a large scanning camera. During imaging, the camera moves slowly in an arc over the front of your chest, taking pictures of your heart from different angles. Remain still while the pictures are being taken. The imaging part of the test takes about 20 to 30 minutes.

 Rest Portion

A tracer will be injected once again, and another set of pictures will be taken while you are at rest. The images are then compared to the images taken during the exercise part of the test.

How Long Does It Take?