Healingheartsclinic.com

Lexiscan Nuclear Stress Test Preparation Instructions If you are unable to keep this testing appointment, you MUST cal to cancel. Your physician has ordered a nuclear stress test. This is a noninvasive method of detecting heart disease. It is used to evaluate patients who have chest discomfort, to monitor heart function in patients with known heart disease, or to evaluate the progress of patients who have had previous angioplasties or stents. Test Preparation:
DO NOT TAKE THE FOLLOWING MEDICATIONS FOR 48 HOURS PRIOR TO TEST:
AEROLATE

DO NOT TAKE THE FOLLOWING MEDICATIONS FOR 24 HOURS PRIOR TO TEST:
ANACIN

NO CAFFEINE FOR 24 HOURS PRIOR TO TESTING. This includes: Coffee this includes decaf, no pop/soda of any kind, chocolate, cold medications, etc. ANY product
that might include caffeine.
Nothing to eat or drink 4-6 hours prior to appointment time.
Nitroglycerin patches must be taken off 1 hour before testing.
Patients may bring a snack to eat AFTER the test is complete.
NO SMOKING FOR 24 HOURS PRIOR TO YOUR TEST.
Oxygen dependent patients, please bring additional tank.
CLOTHING
We recommend you wear a loose, 2-piece outfit
Please wear shoes suitable for exercise on our treadmill
Please refrain from applying lotion or powder to your chest on test day
It can be cold in office, please bring a blanket if you think it is needed.

Diabetic Patients: You wil be fasting for at least 4 hours prior to your exam. You can decide when to take your medications based on your eating schedule, so
please bring them with you.

About your nuclear stress test:
Your physician has determined that you would not be able to perform an exercise test; such as walking on a treadmil to stress your heart. This may be
because of physical limitations or some other heart-related concerns. A Pharmacological or medication stress test wil be performed using the drug Lexiscan.
Lexiscan has the effect of dilating blood vessels to simulate exercise. Electrodes wil be placed on your chest and connect wires to an EKG machine to monitor
your heart rhythm. A blood pressure (BP) cuff wil also be placed around your arm to monitor your BP throughout the test. Lexiscan wil be administered
through the IV over a 1 minute period. Side effects include facial flushing, chest heaviness, shortness of breath, headache and sometimes stomach cramps.
These side effects, if you should have any, wil only last a few minutes. Report any of the above symptoms to the tech as the testing is occurring. Midway
through the infusion of Lexiscan a second radionuclide wil be injected into the IV. Once the Lexiscan is complete any side effects that have occurred should
resolve within 2-3 minutes after the medication has been stopped. Your blood pressure and EKG wil be monitored for several more minutes after the
medication has been infused. You wil lie under the camera again for a second set of images.

Source: http://healingheartsclinic.com/Pdffiles/lexiscan-nuclear.pdf