Cardiac Blood Pool Scan: How To Prepare

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How To Prepare

Before having a cardiac blood pool scan, tell your health professional if you:

• Are allergic to any medicines.
• Are or might be pregnant.
• Have recently had any test that uses a radioactive tracer, such as a bone scan or thyroid scan.
• Have a pacemaker or other metal devices, such as spinal fixation rods, in your chest. These devices may make it difficult to obtain clear pictures of the blood flow through the heart.

You may be asked not to eat or drink for 4 hours before the test. You should not have any caffeine or smoke for 4 to 6 hours before the test.

If testing will include exercise, you should wear comfortable shoes and clothing.

Many medicines may affect the results of this test. Be sure to tell your health professional about all the nonprescription and prescription medicines you take.

Talk to your doctor about any concerns you have regarding the need for the test, its risks, how it will be done, or what the results will indicate. To help you understand the importance of this test, fill out the medical test information form (What is a PDF document?) .

Last updated:	September 13, 2007
Author:	Robin Parks, MS
Reviewed By:	E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine, Stephen Fort, MD, MRCP, FRCPC - Interventional Cardiology
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Tracy Landauer