A bubble study can in rare cases cause an air embolism which can lead to a stroke.
A bubble study can in rare cases cause a stroke as it involves injecting agitated saline mixed with air that can lead to air emboli traveling to your brain in certain situations.
Although the risk of a stroke from a bubble study is very low and the procedure itself is considered very safe.
If a significant amount of the air bubbles enter your bloodstream during the bubble study they can travel to your brain and block blood vessels and cause a stroke.
People with certain heart conditions such as patent foramen ovale may be a bit more susceptible to complications from the bubble study.
A bubble study takes on average of 30 minutes to 45 minutes from start to finish.
A trained physiologist will inject microbubbles into a vein and then record pictures of the heart as the solution fills the chambers.
Once the scan is done the gel used for the echochardiogram with the bubble study is wiped off your chest and you can then get dressed.
A bubble study is not painful although you might feel slight discomfort at the site of injection where the IV is placed.
However there should be no significant pain involved during the bubble study as it's also non invasive and uses ultrasound imaging to visualize your heart.
The side effects of a bubble test also known as a bubble study are headache, allergic reactions, skin reactions, bruising and discomfort.
The bubble study can cause some discomfort at the injection site in your arm and minor bruising at the injection site.
You may also have a skin reaction to the adhesive used for the stickers if you're allergic to the adhesive used for the stickers.
And there's a very small risk of an allergic reaction to the contrast agent.
And in rare cases you may experience a headache, especially if you have a severe migraine.
Other possible more serious risks include reduced blood flow, air microembolism and Ischemic cerebrovascular complications.
Air microembolism is when air enters a vein and can cause a blockage and can trigger a stroke.
A bubble study is a very safe procedure and the risk of a mini stroke or a stroke after a bubble study is very low.
Other potential risks of a bubble study are respiratory distress, shortness of breath and headache.
A bubble study uses a dose of 1 mL of air that is safe and a bubble study is a noninvasive test which involves injecting a mixture of saline and air into a vein.
The bubbles used in a bubble study are very small and are filtered out by your lungs.
A positive bubble test means that you have a hole in your heart like a patent foramen ovale or an atrial septal defect.
When your bubble test is positive it indicates that a valve is still open and there's a hole in the heart and the number of bubbles that are detected can also suggest the size of the shunt between the atriums.
The reason why you would need a bubble study is to diagnose and investigate any possible small holes or a flap in your heart.
A bubble study is useful after a stroke or a heart attack to help identify if you have a foramen ovale or atrial septal defect that could be responsible for a stroke or heart attack.
A PFO is a small hole that is between the upper chambers of your heart that is often harmless but can sometimes cause rare strokes.
A bubble study may also be used after a regular echocardiogram if the regular echocardiogram shows any evidence of a possible congenital heart defect or any blood flow issues and a bubble study can give more information.
During a bubble study a saline solution is mixed with air and is injected into a vein and the patient then performs a Valsalva maneuver.
The results of the bubble study will show if any bubbles appear on the left side of the heart which indicates a positive test and a likely hole in the heart.
The symptoms of a PFO include shortness of breath, chest pain and even a stroke if a blood clot travels from the right atrium to the left atrium blocks a blood vessel in the brain.
A PFO is also known as a patent foramen ovale which is a small opening between the two upper chambers of your heart or atria and remains open after birth.
During the fetal development a structure called the foramen ovale allows blood to flow from the right to the left atrium and bypasses the lungs.
In most people the structure closes normally shortly after birth.
Although in some people it remains open or patent.