MUGA scan

A multiple-gated acquisition (MUGA) scan tests cardiac function. It is more sensitive
than an echocardiogram. Prior to having a MUGA scan, children are sometimes given
a sedative to help them relax and stay perfectly still for the fifteen- to twenty-minute
test. An injection of red cells or proteins tagged with a mildly radioactive substance
(called technetium) is given through an IV. The child lies on a table with a large
movable camera above. This special camera records sequential images of the tech-
netium as it moves through the heart. These pictures of the heart’s function allow
doctors to determine how efficiently the heart muscle is pumping and if any damage
to the heart has occurred.
My 3-year-old daughter had a MUGA scan before she started
chemotherapy. They gave her an injection, and she fell asleep. They laid
her on her back on a big table and moved a huge contraption around her
to take pictures of her heart beating. We watched on a screen, and they
printed out a copy on paper for the doctors.
If either the echocardiogram or MUGA scan shows heart damage, the oncologist may
reduce the dosage or remove the drug causing the damage from your child’s protocol.