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Your heart is an organ that beats more than 100,000 times a day
and pumps blood throughout your body. Your blood carries oxygen,
which is needed by your heart and other muscles and organs to stay
alive. Monmouth Medical Center's Cardiac Laboratory offers state-of-the-art
diagnostic services to monitor the health of this muscular pump
and provide your doctor with the information needed to determine
if a heart problem exists.
The Cardiac Diagnostic Laboratory offers a full range of noninvasive
cardiac testing, including echocardiography, both transthoracic
and transesophageal, tilt table testing, and stress testing. Both
exercise and pharmacological stress testing is offered, with options
for nuclear or stress echocardiography imaging. Twenty-four hour
holter monitors, ambulatory
blood pressure monitors, event
monitors,
and signal-averaged electrocardiograms are also available for the
diagnosis of cardiac problems.
The information on this website is provided to help you understand
these cardiac procedures.
Commonly known as an EKG, this test measures the detailed activity
of your heart through a graph that traces the variations in electric
force which trigger the contractions of the heart. It is used in
conjunction with several of the Cardiac Laboratory's diagnostic
procedures.
Stress echocardiography, using either exercise or medication to
increase the workload on your heart, is performed in the Cardiac
Lab. Echo images are obtained at rest. With exercise, stress images
are obtained within one minute of reaching the target heart rate.
For Dobutamine Stress Echo, an intravenous drug is administered
to increase the heart rate to the age-predicted target as in exercise
stress testing. Ultrasound images are obtained throughout the procedure.
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Also known as an exercise tolerance test, this procedure helps
determine the cause of your chest pain or other symptom of heart
trouble. This test may also be suggested as a screening test prior
to undertaking an exercise program.
A cardiac stress test consists of two phases:
- Exercise performed on a treadmill
- A recovery period
When undertaking a cardiac stress test, the goal is to raise your
heart rate to the maximum rate for your age group. During each
phase, you will be connected to an EKG, monitored by a physician,
and your blood pressure will be frequently monitored by a registered
nurse.
In conjunction with the stress test, your physician also may order
a nuclear imaging test, which involves the injection of a small
dose of a radioactive substance that illuminates the area of the
body to be studied.
To ensure the best results from your cardiac stress test, you
are advised to:
- Wear sneakers or flat walking shoes and comfortable exercise
clothes
- Eat a light meal prior to the test, but avoid coffee, tea,
chocolate and other caffeinated food or drinks.
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Usually performed on those unable to engage in physical exercise,
this non-invasive diagnostic procedure combines nuclear imaging
with a drug that increases the demand on your heart to match an
exercise-type level.
A cardiologist and a registered nurse will closely observe you
through a continuous electrocardiogram and blood pressure monitoring
during the procedure.
To ensure the best results from this test, you are advised to:
- Fast for at least four hours prior to your appointment
- Avoid caffeine for at least 24 hours prior to the test.
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An echocardiogram uses ultrasound waves to examine your heart
and requires no special preparation. It is performed by a nurse/sonographer,
who places a small device called a transducer on your chest. The
ultrasound waves transmit images of the heart structures on a monitor.
These images then are viewed and interpreted by a cardiologist.
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This procedure uses ultrasound technology to allow the cardiologist
to clearly visualize the anatomy of your heart and the function
of your heart valves. Usually performed on an outpatient basis,
a TEE involves the insertion of a small probe into the esophagus
and requires mild sedation.
To prepare for this test, you are advised to:
- Not eat or drink anything for at least six hours prior to the
test.
- Arrange for someone to drive you home.
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A type of EKG, this test is performed on recent heart attack patients
and individuals who have experienced unexplained blackouts. No
special preparation is required for signal averaging, which is
used to identify people at high risk for dangerous heart rhythms.
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Tilt Table Testing is performed in the Cardiac Lab to diagnose
a host of cardiovascular conditions including chronic fatigue syndrome,
slow heart rate and fainting.
For this procedure, you will be connected to a cardiac monitor
and an intravenous line will be inserted. You will be placed on
your back on the tilt table, with safety belt across your chest
and knees. The bed is tilted head up, to 80 to 85 degrees, for
15 to 20 minutes at the discretion of the attending cardiologist.
Vital signs are documented every minute or as needed.
If no symptoms of low blood pressure, slow heart rate, or syncope
(fainting) are identified during the baseline study, a graded Isoproterenol
(Isuprel) drip may be started. Isuprel is an adrenaline-like medication
that can bring on symptoms in susceptible patients. The test is
ended when a patent becomes symptomatic or achieves a target heart
rate.
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In addition to the cardiac
procedures performed in the Cardiac Laboratory, Monmouth Medical
Center also offers a number of diagnostic tests that monitor your
heart at home, while you go about your normal daily routine. These
procedures include:
Within a few days of undergoing these procedures, your physician
will receive a complete report interpreted by a Monmouth Medical
Center cardiologist. Your physician can then use this information
to develop a treatment plan.
This diagnostic tool performs a continuous EKG that is recorded
on a small computer disk as you rest, play and work. This test
provides your physician with a much broader picture of your heart's
rate and rhythm.
The procedure involves placing seven electrodes connected to a
small, lightweight recorder on your chest by an EKG technician.
You will be asked to keep a short diary of your activities and
symptoms as you wear the recorder, worn under your clothing, for
24 hours.
You are advised not to bathe, shower or open the recorder during
this time period. The next day, you will return the recorder, and
a cardiologist will use the EKG measurements and the diary to determine
how your heart reacts to various activities.
Performed for individuals whose symptoms occur sporadically and
cannot be diagnosed through traditional holter monitoring, event
monitoring involves at-home EKG readings for a one-month period.
You will be instructed to hold the monitor over your chest when
symptoms occur. The data is then stored and transmitted by telephone
to a monitoring station for interpretation by a cardiologist.
Similar to the holter monitor, this diagnostic procedure monitors
your blood pressure continually over a 24-hour period. You will
be asked to keep a diary of activities and symptoms during this
time frame, which then will be correlated with any changes in the
blood pressure readings.
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