FREMANTLE HOSPITAL & HEALTH SERVICE

Department of Cardiology - Testing Unit

Thallium Exercise ECGs

In certain circumstances your doctor may order a Thallium exercise ECG.   This test follows the same protocol as a regular exercise ECG, but is performed in the Department of Nuclear Medicine.

Before you commence exercising, a doctor will insert a small needle in the back of your hand.  This allows the radioactive drug Thallium to be administered during the test.  You will then commence walking on the treadmill.   At some time during the exercise, the thallium will be injected.  Once this has happened, you will be required to keep walking for at least one more minute.   Once you have completed exercising , you will have nuclear scans taken of your heart.  The scans will reveal how much thallium is taken up by your heart muscle.

For those patients who have difficulty walking because of arthritis or some other condition, a Perstantin Thallium Scan can be performed.  This is a chemical form of an exercise ECG that does not require walking on a treadmill. It is performed in Nuclear medicine in th same manner as a Thallium exercise ECG.

Instead of exercising, you will be asked to lie on a bed and have a small dose of the drug Perstantin  administered over 4 minutes.  This drug is used to elevate heart rate and simulate the effects of exercise.

After the Perstantin is given, you will be asked to perform some leg raises to further increase your heart rate.  Thallium is then given and the test proceeds as per the Thallium exercise ECG.

Transoesephageal Echocardiography.      Electrocardiography.    Echocardiography.    Holter Monitoring.    King of Hearts Monitoring.     Exercise ECGs.   

Cardiac Catheterisation.    Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.    Insertable Loop Recorder.     Permanent Pacemaker Implant.    Elective Cardioversion.  Electro Physiology.