Medications to hold before a cardiac stress test and cath

Specialties Cardiac

Published

I am going off orientation soon, and I did all my orientation time on night shift so I never prepared to send patients for procedures, now I am starting out on days. The unit I am on is a cardiac observation unit, so most of our patients are going for heart caths and stress tests. For a stress I know we hold Beta blockers, nitroglycerins and drugs containing Thyophylline, what other drugs should I hold before the procedure?

For the cath I know you stop warfarin 5-7 days prior to the test and metformin the day of the procedure and 48 hours post.

Thanks for your help!

eroc

218 Posts

Specializes in CVICU.

Hold beta blockers for exercise stress, not much of anything else for a nuclear, including giving beta-blockers. Depends on the cardiologist. Sure people may argue, but the cardiologists is the BC MD.

There are a few reasons not to give a beta blocker, but not all cardiologist agree as to whether it effects the results or not.

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