Blood caffeine levels prior to rubidium-82 MPS
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Feasibility study to assess the benefit of using a pre-test blood caffeine measurement to improve the diagnostic accuracy of a rubidium heart scan
IRAS ID
160568
Contact name
Beverly Ellis
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 7 months, 1 days
Research summary
Myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) is a technique widely used to evaluate the blood flow to the myocardium, or heart muscle. It involves intravenous injection of a radioactive isotope that is selectively taken up by cells within the heart and the subsequent imaging of its distribution. To generate diagnostic information this test is performed both at rest and following a stress procedure. This may be either physical exercise, or intravenous infusion of a vasodilator (adenosine) to mimic physical exertion. The difference in the distribution of blood flow within the heart between the resting and stress states allows important diagnostic information to be ascertained, informing the subsequent management of the patient.
The ‘stress’ part of the study relies on an adequate response of the patients heart to the vasodilator known as adenosine. It is known that the presence of caffeine in the blood when the adenosine is administered can affect this response. This study aims to i) validate an in-house method to test the levels of caffeine within the blood, and ii) use this test to identify those patients who would potentially have a suboptimal response to adenosine. Such information would increase the diagnostic accuracy of the test.
REC name
North West - Greater Manchester West Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/NW/0084
Date of REC Opinion
13 Feb 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion