Overview
PET or positron emission tomography scan is a diagnostic imaging mode that is done with a special dye, or contrast media. The dye, which contains radioactive tracers, facilitates the easy study of blood movement with the assistance of certain imaging.
The PET cardiac scan also assists the physician in determining whether a patient can undergo angioplasty or could do better with some other form of surgical intervention for the clogged or blocked arteries.
What is a cardiac PET scan?
A cardiac PET scan is a stress test that analyzes the flow of blood to a patient’s heart. The test only requires a small quantity of radioactive material, which is referred to as a radioactive tracer. The radioactive tracer is injected into the patient’s vein. The most widely used radioactive tracer is Rubidium-82. It differs from a contrast or a dye in that it will also decay in a matter of minutes and also does not put the kidneys at risk.
The tracer will come to rest within the heart muscle in a corresponding proportion to the blood flow. Then it emphasizes various segments of the heart with a strong color. In the instance of completely patent coronary arteries, the color shall be highly intense and it will wean off gradually and turn into less intense cooler color once the patient has blockages. It is due to the fact that the blockages will hinder the flow of blood properly in the coronary arteries.
The procedure is done under the assistance of a cardiac PET scanner that picks up the radiation emitted by the tracer and forms precise and flawless images of the heart muscle.
The whole imaging diagnosis is performed at rest and during stress. It is performed with the combination of a drug that facilitates the opening of the blood vessel’s flow (vasodilator). The medication is used to initiate the action of exercise.
The medication also allows the physician to determine whether the patient’s heart is receiving a sufficient amount of blood when it is active to the limit with respect to when it is resting. The primary application of the PET cardiac scan is to determine the level of damage to the heart following a heart attack and also assess how effective the cardiac treatment is.
Cardiac PET Scan VS Traditional imaging tests
The cardiac PET scan is useful and superior in numerous aspects to other imaging tests.
One advantage is precision. The conventional SPECT nuclear stress test is not effective at all and produces images that are indistinct and hard to read. A PET scan, however, is the equivalent of high spatial, contrast, or temporal resolution of the images.
PET images are simple to interpret and do not involve the hardship of falsely positive or falsely negative results. It is characterized by providing better quality images and diagnostic performance. It does not involve any unjustified invasive angiography procedures in patients. Safety is the second benefit of a cardiac PET scan. There is some degree of exposure in other tests such as X-rays, nuclear, CT, or invasive heart angiograms.
Radiation exposure to patients during PET scans is much less, including technologists’ radiation exposure, and physicians compared to CT angiograms or SPECT radiotracers. PET is a first preference as a preferred stress imaging modality based on current recommendations to evaluate coronary artery disease in the young. The plus point is PET scan is patient-centered, offering timely and effective treatment.
The patient can receive the findings of a cardiac PET scan within less than 45 minutes while it will take three to four hours for other methods such as a SPECT stress test. It is a big relief for patients who are going through this PET stress test. Cardiac PET is also beneficial in the sense that it can be used by men, women, and individuals of all sizes with the same degree of accuracy as compared to the SPECT test.
Another advantage and better quality of cardiac PET scan is that it has the ability to quantify the absolute blood flow to heart muscle (coronary flow reserve). It provides a picture and idea of the test being normal or abnormal.
Who Benefits Most From A Cardiac PET Scan?
Cardiac PET scan is useful for patients who experienced indeterminate results from other imaging modalities, since unlike them, PET gives good-quality images, and excellent accuracy, with an ability to measure coronary blood flow within the various coronary arteries areas. PET scan is also useful for those patients who are obese, patients with complicated coronary artery diseases, possess large breasts, and those for whom an inaccurate diagnosis can have the most adverse clinical effects.
It is also useful in patients where obtaining full flowing information is critical to exclude balanced and diffuse coronary artery disease or microvascular disease, which can otherwise be missed with other imaging modalities.
In addition, for those patients who cannot exercise on a treadmill, the cardiac PET scan is a godsend. Patients undergoing revascularization procedures stand to gain especially from the PET imaging scan since it may be accurate in suggesting the area most likely to gain from coronary stent/angioplasty or bypass surgery.
Therefore, a cardiac PET scan is typically prescribed to identify cardiovascular disease in symptomatic patients or those who are genetically predisposed like family history or elevated cholesterol levels. A PET scan also monitors heart health through a course of treatment after coronary artery disease has been discovered in a patient. It also serves to monitor a patient’s cardiac condition after an attack while treatment plans are being weighed.
Conclusion
Thus, we have discussed everything that is so special about a cardiac PET scan and the patients for whom it would prove to be the best. We have also compared the pros of a PET scan with all other conventional methods in so many ways. But it is a bit expensive and most of the patients would hesitate to go for it. It has been around for over 40 years, but it is hardly utilized, primarily due to the expense factor.
Lack of education is also one of the reasons for its limited use. There are very few cardiologists who use it and are able to gain experience and training in this advanced technology. There is only limited knowledge and awareness of the benefits of cardiac PET scans and their findings. But the positive aspects are that it is becoming popular and sooner or later the majority will adopt it for the patient’s sake.
FAQs
Q. Does cardiac PET scan reveal blockages?
Cardiac PET test is commonly used to diagnose heart ailments like coronary artery disease (CAD). The results of a cardiac PET scan enable physicians to observe any notable blockage of the coronary artery, and the extent of damage to the heart after a heart attack.
Q. What are the beneficial impacts of PET scans?
A PET scan is excellent at showing the functional activity of certain areas of the body as opposed to just presenting their visual shape. PET scans are primarily useful for examination of already established cases of cancer in order to determine the extent of cancer spread as well as the effectiveness of treatment.
Q. What risk factors should we take into consideration of a cardiac PET scan?
One must keep in mind the hazards and discomfort of a cardiac PET scan in spite of all precautions taken by the lab or facility. There may be some adverse events and issues in the procedure that have to be taken into account. It may involve heartbeat disorders, cardiac arrest, heart attack, and death during the cardiac stress test.
Q. What is a disadvantage of a PET scan?
PET scans can yield inaccurate results when the chemical balance in the patient’s body is interrupted. It holds particularly true among diabetic patients. Even if the patient has had food a couple of hours before the scan, it is likely to suffer as a result of blood insulin or blood sugar fluctuations.
Q. Is PET scan good or bad?
By and large, PET scans are the safest and they hardly cause any issues. In PET scans there is no significant amount of radiation from the radioactive tracer. Furthermore, it does not remain in the patient’s body for long. It is only that the patient has to drink a lot of water after a PET scan so as to flush out the radioactive drug from the body.
Q. What is the price of a cardiac PET scan?
The price of a cardiac PET scan can be from Rs 23000 to 27000/-. For an exact quotation contact a certified diagnostic centre at the earliest and also for best results.
Q. Is a PET scan superior to an angiogram?
A cardiac PET scan is the gold standard to determine whether to attempt stents or bypass surgery. It is superior to a coronary angiogram in determining the same. Quantitative myocardial perfusion by a cardiac PET scan is unmatched.
Q. Where to find the best imaging centre for Cardiac PET scan?
You can google search “best imaging centre near me” or just directly choose carebox for your body imaging scans.
