Nuclear Medicine Imaging
Yakima Heart Center has been performing nuclear stress testing since 2002.
The nuclear lab was awarded accreditation in June 2008 by the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Nuclear Medicine Laboratories (ICANL). The department is headed by Anatole Kim, MD, FACC, the nuclear medical director, and Lisa Ryals, B.S., CNMT, the lead nuclear technologist. Experienced cardiac nurses and treadmill technicians facilitate the stress portion of the test with utmost attention to patient safety, care and comfort.
It is our goal to provide every patient with the most effective and accurate nuclear diagnostic test possible while simultaneously trying to make the patient’s overall experience pleasant and stress free.
What is a Nuclear Stress Test?
A nuclear stress test helps measure blood flow to your heart muscle at rest and during stress.
During a nuclear stress test, a radioactive substance (or tracer) is injected into your bloodstream and travels to your heart. A special camera or scanner which detects the radioactive material in your heart creates images of your heart muscle. This allows the physician to determine if you have coronary artery disease; a condition where one or more of the coronary arteries have been narrowed or blocked by a build up of fatty deposits.
The stress portion of the test involves walking at a mild to moderate pace on a treadmill while monitoring the blood pressure and electrocardiogram of the patient. If someone is unable to exercise, they may be injected with a medication that increases the blood flow to their heart muscle simulating exercise.
