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Nuclear stress test


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Nuclear scan
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Alternative Names

Sestamibi stress test; MIBI stress test; Myocardial perfusion scintigraphy; Dobutamine stress test; Persantine stress test; Thallium stress test; Stress test - nuclear


What the risks are

Complications are rare but may include:

  • Arrhythmias
  • Increased angina pain during the test
  • Difficulty breathing or asthma-like reactions
  • Extreme swings in blood pressure
  • Skin rashes

Your health care provider will explain the risks before the test.


Special considerations

Breast tissue in women and nonheart tissues such as the diaphragm can sometimes cause false positive test results when older (rest-stress) methods are used to show how well blood flows into your heart muscle. This problem has been effectively eliminated by a quantified (FHRWW) method, which can reduce the need for further testing. Further tests may include a cardiac catheterization.



Review Date: 02/09/2011
Reviewed By: David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc. Previously reviewed by Issam Mikati, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Director, Northwestern Clinic Echocardiography Lab, Northwest. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network (6/22/2010).

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).




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