Myocardial Perfusion Imaging (MPI) Test

What are the Applications of MPI Test?

Your specialist may prescribe a thallium test to:

• Analyse coronary conduit infection. Your coronary veins are the vital veins that supply your heart with blood, oxygen and supplements. Coronary vein infection occurs when these corridors are damaged: usually because of the deposition of plaque. On the off chance that you have symptoms that may show coronary artery infection, for example, shortness of breath or chest torments, an atomic pressure test can help in deciding whether you have coronary vein disease.
• See the size and state of your heart. The pictures from a thallium test can demonstrate your specialist the size of your heart and its pumping capacity.
• Guide treatment of heart issue. If you have been diagnosed with coronary artery disease, arrhythmia or any other heart condition, the thallium test will enable your specialist to check how well treatment is going on. It might likewise be utilised to help you select the best treatment according to the symptoms.

How to Prepare for MPI?

Here are some basic instructions which you have to follow while appearing for ECG- Treadmill Test (TMT). Failure to adhere to them may give inaccurate results.

• Skip a meal four to six hours before test.
• Don't take any medicines without asking your doctor.
• Pass on the caffeine and chocolate 24 hour before test.
• Wear comfortable clothing so that you don’t feel uneasy.
• Exercise in advance.
• Keep your blood sugar under control.
• If you have asthma, bring your inhaler.

What Happens Amid MPI Test?

The MPI test takes 3 to 4 hours to be conducted. Following steps are performed to mark the successful completion of the test.

• The technician places small metal discs (electrodes) on your chest, arms and legs. The discs have wires that are linked to a machine to record your electrocardiogram (ECG).
• A cuff is wrapped around your arm to track your blood pressure.
• An intravenous line will be inserted in your arm, and you will be asked to exercise. If you cannot exercise, your IV line will be connected to a bag that has medicine to enhance the blood flow to your heart. This is called a chemical or pharmacologic stress test.
• The technician will infuse a small amount of radioactive material through the IV line when you reach your peak activity level.
• You will be instructed to lie still on a table for 10- 30 minutes, while the technician uses a gamma camera to click images of your heart. Multiple scans are done during the resting period to provide pictures of thin slices of your heart from all angles. You will be given more tracer, and photographs will be taken. These images will be compared to the ones taken after exercise or stress.
• Some forms of the test do not use stress or exercise but take two sets of rest images with two different tracers.

What are the Possible Risks and Complications?

It is highly unlikely that you will feel any complications after the test. Inform your doctor if you think that something is wrong. You may resume all your everyday tasks unless your doctor advises you to refrain from physical activities.

After your scan, residual radioactivity will still be there, but it will not cause any harm to you and others.

If you wish to communicate with pregnant women, infants and toddlers, stay within an arm’s length. There is no need to worry about the effects of radioactivity on your body; it will fade away soon, either by passing urine or staying hydrated.