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Diagnosing Heart & Vascular Disease |
Cardiac Catheterization: a diagnostic procedure during which the cardiologist guides a catheter, or thin tube, through an artery or vein in the arm or leg and into the heart and coronary arteries of the heart. The purpose of the test is to measure blood pressure inside the heart as well as to provide other information about the pumping ability of the heart muscle itself. The catheter can also be used to inject dye into the coronary arteries, which allows the physician to view the degree to which the arteries are narrowed or blocked.
Transesophageal Echocardiography: a diagnostic procedure in which an ultrasound imaging device is inserted through the mouth and passed into the esophagus. Harmless sound waves bounce (echo) off your heart and create images of your heart as it pumps blood through the valves and chambers. Since the heart and esophagus are close together and there are no bony structures between, this test can provide a clearer image of the heart.
Stress Test: a test that enables the doctor to estimate the severity of the blockages in the coronary arteries. Likewise, if you have just undergone balloon angioplasty or bypass surgery, a stress test helps the doctors monitor the success of the procedure as well as determine an appropriate rehabilitation program for you. The stress test involves performing a simple exercise, usually walking on a treadmill, while your body is monitored using several different devices. These devices include an electrocardiograoph machine, ultrasound, and a blood pressure machine.
Nuclear Stress Testing: a test used to evaluate the extent to which the heart is adequately supplied with blood, the extent to which the four chambers of the heart are working and to evaluate possible damage to the heart. The nuclear stress test involves injecting a tracer into the bloodstream, which contains a small amount of radiation, similar to that of an x-ray. Pictures of your heart, called scans, are then taken with a special camera that detects where the tracer goes. Since the tracer is carried by the blood, the camera records how much blood is flowing into all parts of your heart muscle. Exercising makes your heart work harder, causing an increase in blood flow, which helps the doctor see if there are blockages.
Echocardiogram: a test during which high frequency sound waves are transmitted into the chest and reflected back to the ultrasound computer. The computer then creates an image of the heart as it beats and displays it on a monitor for viewing and recording. By combining the standard treadmill test with a two dimensional echocardiography test, a sensitive method of diagnosing coronary artery disease has evolved.
Carotid Angiography: a procedure in which the doctor examines your carotid artery, the blood vessel in your neck that brings blood to the brain. The doctor places dye in the artery with a catheter (a long flexible tube) and takes x-rays to help identify any problems.
Tilt Table Test: a diagnostic test used to help a physician determine why a patient has been having sudden drops in blood pressure, causing, for example, fainting spells. The tilt table test is conducted with the patient lying horizontally on a pivoting table. Then the table is tilted upright (head up and feet down), which helps determine the cause of any decrease in oxygen to the brain. The patient's heart rate and blood pressure are monitored carefully throughout the test.
Ambulatory Monitoring: a diagnostic process where Patients wear a blood pressure cuff that is programmed to take blood pressure readings at preselected intervals over a 24-hour period. This process helps the doctor know what is happening with a patient’s heart rhythm during normal day-to-day activities.
Noninvasive Hemodynamic monitoring: a monitoring test that assesses key cardiovascular functions such as cardiac output, contractility, systemic vascular resistance, and thoracic fluid content. Hemodynamic measurements describe the intravascular pressure and flow occurring when the heart muscle contracts and pumps blood throughout the body via the vascular system.
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