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1. Exercise treadmill testing.
2. Exercise MIBI scanning.
3. Persantine MIBI scanning,
4. Drugs to stop before Persantine MIBI scanning.
5. Dobutamine MIBI scanning.

Exercise treadmill testing.

This appointment takes 45 minutes.

• Bring comfortable walking shoes or sneakers.
• Eat a light breakfast or light lunch depending on the time of your appointment.
• Please bring all your medications or a current list of your medications.
• Check with your Family Doctor about stopping beta-blockers 48 hours before testing.
• Check with your Family Doctor about stopping Diltiazem or Verapamil 48 hours before testing.
• You must not take oral nitrates or apply topical nitrates on the day of the test.
• Diabetics have their normal diet and medications (except oral or topical nitrates).
• Patients undergoing Dobutamine stress testing will need a driver to return home.

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Exercise MIBI scanning.

This appointment can take 3-4 hours.

• No food or fluid for 4 hours before the test.
• No caffeine for 24 hours before the test. This includes, coffee, tea, pop drinks, energy drinks, chocolate, Tylenol #1, #2 and #3. No decaffeinated drinks.
• Bring something to eat and drink with you. There is a fridge for storage. Eating after injection of radiotrace improves the images.
• No oral or topical nitrates on the day of the test.
• Beta-blockers and calcium blocker may be stopped 48 hours before the test. Check with the Doctor who ordered the test.
• You will have an intravenous injection of radioactive tracer and a heart scan 40-60 minutes later.
• An intravenous line will then be inserted after the first heart scan.
• You will then exercise on a treadmill and one minute before the end of exercise a second dose of radioactive tracer is injected.
• The final scan is perfomed 40-60 minutes later.

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Persantine MIBI scanning.

This appointment takes 3-4 hours.

Persantine is a medication that simulates exercise. Most patients feel no adverse effects from the drug although some may experience headache, nausea or flushing. The antidote is called aminophylline which is then given intravenously at the end of the test. This quickly reverses the effects of the persantine.

• You cannot have this test if you are asthmatic.
• The only difference between this test and exercise is that you do not exercise.
• No food or fluid for 4 hours before the test.
• You will have an intravenous injection of radioactive tracer and a heart scan 40-60 minutes later.
• An intravenous line will then be inserted after the first heart scan.
• Persantine is injected over a period of 4 minutes. The dose is calculated by body weight to a maximum of 50mg.
• You will have a second intravenous injection of radioactive tracer and a heart scan 40-60 minutes later.
• No caffeine for 24 hours before the test. This includes, coffee, tea, pop drinks, energy drinks, chocolate, Tylenol #1, #2 and #3. No decaffeinated drinks.
• Bring something to eat and drink with you. There is a fridge for storage. Eating after injection of radiotracer improves the images.
• No oral or topical nitrates on the day of the test.
• Beta-blockers and calcium blocker may be stopped 48 hours before the test. Check with the Doctor who ordered the test.

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Drugs to stop 24hrs before Persantine MIBI scanning.

1. Aggrenox, Persantine, Dipyridamole.
2. Caffeine, Coffee, Tea, Chocolate, Pop drinks, Tylenol #1, Tylenol #2, Tylenol #3, Excedrin, Decaffeinated drinks.
3. Theophylline, TheoDur.

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Dobutamine MIBI scanning.

This appointment takes 3-4 hours.

Dobutamine is a medication that increases heart rate in a similar manner to exercise. The drug is given as an intravenous infusion over a period of 12-15 minutes. On occasions another medication called Atropine is give as an injection in order to achieve the appropriate heart rate.

• This test is performed in patients who are asthamtic or who arrive in the clinic having had some form of caffeine in the past 24 hours.
• No food or fluid for 4 hours before the test.
• You will have an intravenous injection of radioactive tracer and a heart scan 40-60 minutes later.
• An intravenous line will then be inserted after the first heart scan.
• Following the Dobutamine infusion you will have a second intravenous injection of radioactive tracer and a heart scan 40-60 minutes later.
• No caffeine for 24 hours before the test. This includes, coffee, tea, pop drinks, energy drinks, chocolate, Tylenol #1, #2 and #3. No decaffeinated drinks.
• Bring something to eat and drink with you. There is a fridge for storage. Eating after injection of radiotracer improves the images.
• No oral or topical nitrates on the day of the test.
• Beta-blockers and calcium blocker may be stopped 48 hours before the test. Check with the Doctor who ordered the test.

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