Nuclear ventriculography is a test that uses radioactive materials called tracers to show the heart chambers. The procedure is non-invasive. The instruments do not directly touch the heart.

The test is done while you are resting.

The health care provider will inject a radioactive material called technetium into your vein. This substance attaches to red blood cells and passes through the heart into flowing blood. Special cameras or scanners trace the substance as it moves through the heart area. In other words, the red blood cells inside the heart that carry the radioactive material form an image that the camera sees. The images may be combined with an electrocardiogram and, using computer software, made to appear as if the heart is moving.

You may be told not to eat or drink beverages for several hours before the test.

You may feel a brief sting or pinch when the IV is inserted into your vein, usually in the arm. You may have trouble staying still during the test.

The test will show how well the blood is pumping through different parts of the heart.

Normal results indicate normal heart squeezing function. The test can check both the overall squeezing strength of the heart, known as ejection fraction (a normal value is above 55%), and the motion of individual parts of the heart. If one part of the heart is moving poorly while the others move well, it may mean that there is a blockage in the artery of the heart that delivers blood to the damaged part.

Abnormal results may indicate poor pumping function, a prior heart attack (myocardial infarction), blockages in the coronary arteries (coronary artery disease), heart valve disease, or other cardiac disorders that weaken the heart function.

Other conditions under which the test may be performed:

• Atrial septal defect
• Dilated cardiomyopathy
• Heart failure
• Idiopathic cardiomyopathy
• Mitral stenosis
• Peripartum cardiomyopathy
• Senile cardiac amyloid

Nuclear imaging tests carry a very low risk of complications. Exposure to the radioisotope delivers a small amount of radiation, which is safe for patients undergoing an occasional nuclear imaging test.