Otherwise, you stay in the hospital overnight. In the first few hours after the test, you will be given apple juice, water, or other clear fluids. Drink as much as you can to speed the kidney's removal of the dye from your body. For the first few hours, you are checked every 30 minutes by a doctor or nurse. If your condition remains stable and there is no bleeding, you can sit up, stand, and walk for a short distance five or six hours after the test.
Outpatients can usually leave the testing center seven to eight hours after the test.
Before you go home, a doctor or nurse should show you how to apply pressure to stop any bleeding at the incision site. Factors affecting results Obesity may obscure X-rays. Severe arteriosclerosis in the blood vessels of the arms or legs may limit access of the catheter to the heart. The films are studied for narrowed or blocked arteries and other abnormalities. The test is reliable, providing the most accurate information about heart structures.