Gated Radionuclide Angiographies (GRAs) are non-invasive medical tests used to examine the heart's structure and blood flow. The spelling of the word follows the PHONEME-based principles of English orthography. "Gated" is written with a "g" to represent the voiced velar plosive /g/, followed by "ate" which makes the long vowel sound /eɪ/. "Radionuclide" is written with "rad" to indicate the root word 'ray' and "o" to represent the neutral vowel /ə/, followed by "nuclide" with a silent "c". Finally, "Angiographies" is written with "angio" referring to the blood vessels and "graphs" indicating the imaging technique, followed by "ies".
Gated radionuclide angiography (RNA), also known as equilibrium radionuclide angiography, is a medical imaging technique used to evaluate the function and movement of the heart's chambers. It involves the injection of a small amount of radioactive material into the patient's bloodstream, which is then detected by a special camera to create images of the heart.
This procedure is often performed when a patient is at rest or during exercise, which helps in assessing the heart's performance at different levels of exertion. The word "gated" in the name refers to the synchronization of the imaging with the patient's heartbeat. Specifically, the images are acquired at specific phases of the cardiac cycle, allowing the evaluation of the heart's pumping action and the timing of each chamber's contraction.
Gated RNA provides valuable information about the overall cardiac function, including the ejection fraction (the percentage of blood pumped out of the heart with each contraction), the volume of blood in the chambers, and the coordination between the different parts of the heart. By analyzing these images, healthcare professionals can diagnose and monitor various heart conditions and can determine the effectiveness of treatments.
Overall, gated radionuclide angiography is a non-invasive and safe imaging technique that allows for the assessment of cardiac performance and the identification of heart abnormalities by utilizing radioactive tracers and specialized cameras synchronized with the heartbeat.