Question

You have a patient that is in left-sided heart failure who is going to have a MUGA scan, what medication are you going to administer before the scan?

Answer 1

For a MUGA scan, typically no pre-scan medication is specifically administered except for any ongoing treatments for the patient's heart condition; the radioactive tracer used is technetium-99m. For MRI scans, a contrast agent like gadolinium-DTPA is used to enhance the quality of the images.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student is referring to a MUGA scan, which is a type of nuclear imaging test to evaluate the heart's function by measuring the ejection fraction. This procedure requires the administration of a radioactive tracer. For patients undergoing a MUGA scan, typically no specific pre-scan medication is needed unless there are other complicating factors such as an allergy to the tracer. However, in some cases, medications to manage the patient's heart failure symptoms may be adjusted or continued as prescribed by a physician. It is important to note that the radioactive tracer commonly used in a MUGA scan is technetium-99m, not thallium-201.

In the case of a MRI scan, a different type of imaging test, an MRI contrast agent may be used to provide clearer images. For example, a complex of the metal ion gadolinium, which is administered as a stable complex such as Gd-DTPA (gadolinium-diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid), to prevent toxicity and ensure safe excretion from the body.