MUGA scan

An IV is started in the vein of your arm. A small amount of blood is drawn. This blood is tagged with a small amount of radioactive tracer for about 30 minutes. The blood is returned to your body through the IV. Pictures are taken immediately after the injection. Three pictures will be taken of your heart from different angles. Each picture will take about 10 minutes to complete.

It's important for you to remain still and breathe normally during the scan. You should plan for your test to take about one hour and 30 minutes.

There are no special preparations necessary for a MUGA scan.

The radioactive injection will have no effect on how you feel.

After the procedure is complete, a nuclear medicine physician will study the pictures along with your medical history to make an assessment of what the photos show. He/she will then dictate a report that will be forwarded to your physician within three business days. If results are needed sooner, your doctor may contact the nuclear medicine physician on the day of the exam.