An important component of cardiac medicine is diagnosis. At Cardiology Healthcare, we take pride in our ability to administer sophisticated tests such as EKG and echocardiograms right here in our Miami office.
Some of the key tools for diagnosis at our disposal include:
Two dimensional echocardiograph uses ultrasound to “view” the heart. Using 2D echo, Dr. Diego is able to see a cross section of the beating heart, including its chambers, valves and major blood vessels.
With a Holter monitor, Dr. Diego can keep track of your heart rhythm during everyday activities. You may be asked to wear the Holter monitor for one or two days. If the standard Holter monitor does not capture an irregular heartbeat, there is a wireless monitor which can be worn for weeks.
Our office is equipped as well with an EKG machine to administer electrocardiograms. This painless test uses electrodes taped to your chest to record the electrical activity of the heart. Electrical signals control the pumping action of the heart. An EKG shows how fast your heart is beating, and measures the strength and timing of the signals as they pass through each part of the heart.
The EKG is used in combination with a stress test, whereby patients are asked to walk on a treadmill or otherwise exert themselves so the doctor can see how the heart responds. If you are unable to exert yourself, there are medications to increase your heart rate for testing purposes.
During a nuclear cardiovascular test, a safe, radioactive substance called a tracer is injected into your bloodstream. The tracer travels to your heart and releases energy. A special camera detects the energy and uses it to create a picture of your heart. A nuclear heart scan, as this is called, is used to measure blood flowing to the heart and blood flowing from the heart to various parts of the body, and to check for damaged heart muscle.
Vascular studies is a name given to non-invasive ways to assess blood flow in arteries and veins. A transducer (similar to a microphone) sends out high-frequency sound waves. When the transducer is placed on the skin, the sound waves echo off blood cells. The transducer picks up the reflected waves and sends them to an amplifier, which makes a ‘picture’ of the blood flow.
Pacemaker interrogation is a machine that downloads information from your pacemaker so that Dr. Diego can analyze it. By moving a scanner or wand across your chest, he can also evaluate the programming of your device and make sure it’s working properly.