Preparing For Your Cardiac Exam

You can print and fill out the Cardiac Imaging Questionnaire on our Pre-Registration Questionnaires page before arriving to speed the registration process.

General Coronary CT Instructions:

Please consult your physician if you are allergic to iodine, have a history of allergies or asthma.

If your doctor gave you an order, please bring it with you.

• Coronary calcium scan (There are no preparations for this exam.)
• Coronary CTs (angiography) (cardiac) (same preps for Thoracic Aorta with Coronary Angiogram, Pulmonary Vein Imaging, Cardiac Anatomic Structure and Valve Replacement Planning Imaging)

Stress Myocardial Perfusion SPECT/PET (Exercise or Pharmacologic Myocardial Perfusion Study; Stress Test): same preps for Vasodilator Stress (adenosine, regadenoson), dobutamine stress, stress myocardial perfusion PET (rubidium), and Myocardial Viability PET (FDG).

• Exam time: three to four hours
• Consult your physician about going off beta blockers for 48 hours and calcium channel blockers for 24 hours before the test.
• Consult your physician before discontinuing ANY medication (especially if diabetic).
• Do not eat or drink three hours before your exam.
• Do not eat or drink caffeine products (i.e. chocolate, sodas, teas, coffee, or Anacin/Excedron) 24 hours prior to exam. Please note: Decaffeinated products contain caffeine.
• Please wear a comfortable two-piece outfit and walking shoes.
• Please bring all of your medications with you.
• If your doctor gave you an order, please bring it with you.
• If you are not going to eat immediately after your exam, do not take your diabetic medications. Again, please check with your physician.

Cardiac PET:

• Myocardial Viability (FDG)
  • Please note that there are two types of Cardiac PET scans (for "perfusion" and for "viability") and that they have different preparations. If you are unsure of which you are getting, please contact your physician.
  • Exam time: approximately three to four hours.
  • Do not eat or drink three hours before your exam.
  • If you are on oral medication for diabetes, do not eat or drink after midnight, but continue your oral diabetic medication.
  • If you have insulin-dependent diabetes or non-insulin dependent diabetes, adhere to your normal dietary and insulin schedule.
• Myocardial Perfusion (Rubidium scan)
  
  • Please note that there are two types of Cardiac PET scans (for "perfusion" and for "viability") and that they have different preparations. If you are unsure of which you are getting, please contact your physician.
  • Exam time: approximately three to four hours
  • Consult your physician about going off beta blockers for 48 hours and calcium channel blockers for 24 hours before the test.
  • Consult your physician before discontinuing ANY medication (especially if diabetic).
  • Do not eat or drink three hours prior to your exam.
  • Do not eat or drink caffeine products (i.e. chocolate, sodas, teas, coffee, or Anacin/Excedron) 24 hours prior to exam. Please note: Decaffeinated products contain caffeine.
  • Please wear a comfortable two-piece outfit and walking shoes.
  • Please bring all of your medications with you.
  • If your doctor gave you an order, please bring it with you.
  • If you are not going to eat immediately after your exam, do not take your diabetic medications. Again, please check with your physician.

Cardiac MR Stress Test (Adenosine; stress perfusion, vasoldilator, pharmacologic):

• Exam time: approximately three to four hours
• Consult your physician about going off beta blockers for 48 hours and calcium channel blockers for 24 hours before the test.
• Consult your physician before discontinuing ANY medication (especially if diabetic).
• Do not eat or drink three hours prior to your exam.
• Do not eat or drink caffeine products (i.e. chocolate, sodas, teas, coffee, or Anacin/Excedron) 24 hours prior to exam. Please note: Decaffeinated products contain caffeine.
• Please wear a comfortable two-piece outfit and walking shoes.
• Please bring all of your medications with you.
• If your doctor gave you an order, please bring it with you.
• If you are not going to eat immediately after your exam, do not take your diabetic medications. Again, please check with your physician.
• Also, see below for general MR guidelines.

Cardiac MRI without stress ( (Same preps for Cardiomyopathy/Myocarditis, Left Ventricular (LV) Function, Specific Q, Congenital exams and Chest MRI/MRA): No preps.

All Cardiac MR exams:

• Cardiac MRI is safe with joint replacements, coronary stents, ASD/PFO closure devices, sternal wires and most prosthetic heart valves.
• Patients with a history of metallic implants / shrapnel / prior neurosurgical clip placement are all individually evaluated prior to MRI.

Exclusions: We cannot perform MRI on patients with pacemakers, defibrillators or other implanted electronic devices.

Why choose the S. Mark Taper Foundation Imaging Center for cardiac studies?

The S. Mark Taper Foundation Imaging Center provides a full range of advanced imaging, both radiology and cardiology, as well as interventional radiology and interventional tumor (oncology) treatments to the greater Los Angeles area, including Beverly Hills, Encino, Mid-Cities, Sherman Oaks, Silver Lake, Studio City, Toluca Lake and West Hollywood.