Nuclear medicine is the special branch of medicine and medical imaging that comprises diagnostic examination. For diagnosis and imaging, nuclear properties are used. This diagnosis gives the result in the form of images of body anatomy and functions, These images are based on the energy detection emitted from radioactive substances.

Radioactive substances are given to the patient either intravenously or orally. Cardiac nuclear medicines are the branch of medical imaging and are used as diagnostic tests to examine structure and function of heart. These tests are done for early detection of heart diseases in individual with unexplained chest pains.

The most common treatment in cardiac nuclear medicines is myocardial perfusion scanning and done to observe the flow of the blood patterns in the heart. This test is important in detection of coronary artery diseases and some previous injuries caused during heart attacks. These injuries are called as the myocardial infractions. Myocardial perfusion scanning is also important in evaluating the results of bypass surgery and other percutaneous revascularization procedures.

Another test in cardiac nuclear medicines is cardiac gating; it is important in examining the heart wall movements and overall heart functions. This treatment is based upon the images of heart that are determined by Electrocardiogram (ECG). ECG records the electric current that is used to activate heart muscles and force heart for pumping.

In these tests, patients have to undergo some physical exercise vigorously to make heart work harder than normal conditions. After this excitation of heart, the patient is given radioactive compounds called radiopharmaceutical agents or tracer. These compounds will collect in the heart with good blood flow and give out gamma rays. With help of gamma cameras, these rays are detected and provided to the computer for image constructions. This test is called as stress test.

Cardiac nuclear medicines are supposed to be best for determination of the heart diseases as they provide all the functional information about blood flow of heart and the pumping functions. This information is useful for further treatments as well. As a computer is involved in cardiac nuclear medicine for image generation, quantification and measurement of functions, detection of the abnormalities becomes easy. Diagnosis of the diseases depends upon the standardized protocols and therefore results will be same in all hospitals and clinics.

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