St Vincents Private Hospitals

Nuclear cardiology imaging is a type of test that uses a small amount of safe radioactive substance to safely take pictures of your heart. These images are used to assess your heart function and help diagnose potential heart disease. 

Nuclear cardiology imaging is often referred to as a nuclear stress test. It is very similar to an exercise stress test, but instead of using an echocardiogram to produce images of the heart, nuclear stress testing uses a radioactive dye. This produces highly detailed pictures of the heart muscle and blood flow, both before and after stress. It is considered highly accurate in diagnosing and monitoring coronary heart disease.

How does it work?

Nuclear cardiology imaging can be performed using physical exercise or medication to simulate the effects of activity on the heart. Firstly, the radioactive substance is injected into a vein. This is known as a tracer, and as it enters the bloodstream it is absorbed by the heart and blood vessels which makes them more visible. A special camera is then used to take pictures of the heart at rest. The second stage of the test uses a bike, treadmill or medication (such as dobutamine) to increase the heartrate and assess how the heart responds to stress. Further pictures are taken until the test is complete.