MUGA scan
Pronunciation: MUG-ah
Also written as: MUGA — Multiple Gated Acquisition scan
Nuclear medicine test that evaluates heart function and measures ejection fraction.
Full Definition
A Multiple Gated Acquisition (MUGA) scan is a nuclear medicine procedure that uses radioactive tracers to assess cardiac function, particularly left ventricular ejection fraction. The test involves injecting technetium-99m-labeled red blood cells and using a gamma camera to create images of the heart's pumping action. MUGA scans are particularly valuable for monitoring cardiac function in patients receiving cardiotoxic chemotherapy, as they provide highly reproducible ejection fraction measurements. The procedure is also used to evaluate patients with heart failure and assess cardiac function before major surgery.
Usage
Usage note: Always capitalize MUGA; spell out on first use in formal documents.
In Context
- "Serial MUGA scans showed a decline in ejection fraction from 65% to 45% during doxorubicin therapy." — Oncology monitoring report
- "The MUGA scan confirmed normal biventricular function with an ejection fraction of 60%." — Nuclear medicine report