After having a Myocardial perfusion scan can you work with food as you work in a kitchen prepairing and cooking food?

Answer to food prep following MPI

The simple answer is "yes you may". The Technetium-99m sestamibi (Cardiolite-TM) or tetrofosmin (Myoview-TM) radiopharmaceutical commonly used for myocardial perfusion imaging is cleared from the body via the gastro-intestinal and renal pathways. So, assuming you are following common cleanliness guidelines by washing your hands after using the restroom, there shouldn't be any chance of you contaminating the food you are preparing.

In reference to the radiation, you will be mildly radioactive for approximately 2 days, more intensely immediately following your study, less intensely 10 hours later, down to not measureable the next day. The Tc-99m has a half-life of 6 hours, and the pharmaceutical has a biological half-life of about 24 hours, so the effective half-life is just under 5 hours (4.8hrs). This means that any detectable radiation will have been excreted from your body within 2 days (the rule of thumb is 10 half-lives, so in this case, 48 hours or 2 days).

I wouldn't be too concerned about the radiation, although there is some risk. Your exposure will be about the same as if you'd had a CT scan. And, as long as you aren't having frequent x-ray/nuclear medicine studies, your body should be able to handle the burden. Also, the immediate risk from the coronary artery disease is much greater than the long term risk from the radiation exposure, so don't let this keep you from having the study done. However, since you are mildly radioactive following the study, you may want to avoid close contact with others, such as holding grandkids on your lap or in your arms for extended periods until the 2 days have transpired.

Gregory G. Passmore, Ph.D., CNMT

• What is the exmples of coordination in physical education?
• How does the fetal circulation works?
• Is the heart the muscular pump that provide the force necessary to circulate oxygen throughout the body?