Medications to hold before a cardiac stress test and cath

[Sweetmelissa304]

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]

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.