Testing

	Echocardiogram
	MUGA Scan
	Stress Test
	Cardiopulmonary Stress Test
	Stress Echocardiogram

Echocardiogram (ECG)
Your doctor may order an echocardiogram for you. This test tells your doctor how well your heart pumps blood, and if your valves are working well.

You do not need to prepare for the test. When you arrive, you will be asked to undress from the waist up and put on a patient gown. Echocardiogram wires will be attached to your chest. The technician then will ask you to lie on your left side, and will take pictures of your heart using a special probe and ultrasonic gel. Nothing will be put into your body.

The test takes about 45 minutes.

MUGA scan
Your doctor may order a MUGA scan. MUGA stands for “multi-gated blood-pool imaging”. This test tells your doctor how well your heart is working as a pump.

You will have an intravenous (IV) line for the test. You will receive technetium, a radioactive material that labels or “tags” red blood cells so they can be seen. The technetium will be given into your vein (IV). You also will be hooked to an ECG monitor. You will be asked to lie very still. The test will count your “tagged” red blood cells over many heart beats. A camera makes a picture of the heart’s chambers and the blood vessels leading to and from it.

The test will tell how much blood the heart pumps out with each beat (ejection fraction or EF), and how quickly this blood is pumped out.

Stress test
Your doctor may order a cardiovascular stress test. This test will tell your doctor if your heart gets enough blood flow during stress or exercise.

Do not drink any beverages with caffeine before the procedure. You may eat a light meal no less than 2 hours before the test. Wear comfortable walking shoes and loose-fitting pants.

ECG wires will be attached to your chest for an electrocardiogram of your heart. You will be asked to walk on a treadmill until you get too tired to continue or have symptoms like chest pain or shortness of breath. A cardiologist and a technologist will be with you throughout the test to watch your blood pressure and electrocardiogram.

Cardiopulmonary stress test
A cardiopulmonary stress test (CPX test) is a special treadmill test. This test takes an ECG and measures how your lungs work while you exercise. Your doctor may ask you to take a CPX test to see if you have any cardiac or respiratory problems during exercise and to determine how well the heart pumps blood to the muscles. This information is needed to determine the best exercise plan for you.

Wear loose comfortable clothing and walking shoes the day of the test. Eat a light meal and take your medicines just as you normally would. An exercise physiologist, a doctor and a nurse will be present during your test.

For the test, ECG wires will be attached to your chest for an electrocardiogram of your heart. You will breathe into a breath analyzer that measures the gas exchange in your lungs. An oximeter will be placed on your finger to determine how much oxygen is in your blood while you exercise. Your blood pressure and pulse will be taken during the test.

You will start out by walking slowly on the treadmill. You will be asked to gradually increase your speed and incline. You can stop the test at any time. If at any point during the test you feel as if you have had enough, give the “thumbs down” signal to the exercise physiologist and doctor. They will slow down the treadmill and stop the test.

The results of the test will help your doctor choose a target heart rate for you to reach when you exercise and decide the best exercise for you.

Stress echocardiogram
A stress echocardiogram looks for evidence of previous heart muscle damage and finds any areas of the heart that have a decreased blood supply.

You should eat nothing for about 2 hours before the test. Wear loose-fitting, comfortable clothing and shoes.

ECG wires will be attached to your chest for an electrocardiogram of your heart during the test. Ultrasound pictures of the heart will be taken before you exercise. You then will be asked to walk on a treadmill. Your speed and angle of incline will be increased gradually. Your blood pressure and heart rhythm will be watched during the test.

The treadmill will be stopped when you are very tired but not exhausted. It also will be stopped if you become very short of breath, have chest discomfort, or have any other symptoms. You then will need to get back onto the ultrasound table as quickly as possible so that the ultrasound pictures of the heart can be taken when the heart is still beating rapidly.

The normal response to exercise is for the heart to pump harder. Parts of your heart muscle that don’t pump well after exercise may have decreased blood supply.

Sometimes a stress echocardiogram is used to see how well your heart valves work with exercise.