Where does the test take place?
A CT scan is usually completely painless. The machine does not touch you and you do not feel the x-rays. Occasionally, some patients who are given an intravenous contrast medium experience a hot feeling at the time of the injection throughout their body but this usually lasts only seconds. Be sure to answer carefully any questions asked about your general health. For example, tell them if you are pregnant, diabetic, and/or allergic to any foods or drugs. Let them know if you have had any contrast media in the past and if you had any side effects. Give them a complete list of any medications you may be taking now, including nonprescription medications. It is important that the technologist know if you are a diabetic and what medications you take to control it. Blood work may be necessary before your scan to determine if your kidneys will be able to process the contrast and excrete it from the body through your urine. As with any other important diagnostic test, you may be asked to sign
The Adenosine Cardiolite Scan is conducted in our office. What happens during the test? First of all, you should be aware that this test is conducted in two parts and that you should plan to be at our office approximately 3 hours. When you arrive, the technician will review the procedure with you. Then the technician will inject the Cardiolite into a vein in your arm. Cardiolite is a radioactive substance that will produce the images of your heart. The Cardiolite travels in the bloodstream and is picked up by the heart muscle cells. About 45 minutes after this injection, you will be asked to sit in a special chair while the camera scans, or takes pictures of your heart. This takes about 25 minutes to complete. You are then finished with the resting phase of the scan, meaning the camera has taken pictures of your heart while it is at rest. After this part of the test you will be given a small snack. This helps your body excrete the Cardiolite. About three hours later, you will be prepar
