Providence St. Peter Hospital offers the most advanced diagnostic and treatment tools. Whether your physician suspects that you have a heart problem because of risk factors or symptoms, or you suffer chest pain or a heart attack and come to us through the emergency room, we can get to the bottom of the problem and respond on the spot with appropriate care. Most heart tests are minimally invasive (requiring only an injection or tube insertion) or not invasive at all, so they generally cause little discomfort and require little or no recovery time. Your cardiologist will consider your particular situation before determining the appropriate tests, but the most common are: Blood Testing
Blood analysis is a valuable tool for the cardiologist. Among the screenings that provide clues to your heart's condition are cholesterol, blood sugar (to indicate diabetes) and thyroid (an overactive or underactive thyroid may be related to heart abnormalities).
X-Ray
Specialized chest X-rays give information about your heart's size, shape, wall movement and ability to pump, and may also show function of your lungs and blood vessels. Observing these X-rays helps your physician identify certain effects of heart disease, including an enlarged heart.
Electrocardiography
Electrocardiography (also known as ECG or EKG) can detect heart disease and may even pinpoint the specific area in your heart that is causing trouble. This painless, non-invasive test records the pattern of your heart's electrical pulses through electrodes attached to your skin. It may be used while you are resting or exercising. A portable machine can even record your heart's functions as you go about your regular activities.
Echocardiography
Echocardiography (also known as an "echo") uses ultrasound to gather information on the movement of your heart chambers and valves. Non-invasive and painless, the echocardiogram is obtained by placing a metal wand over your chest. Reflected ultrasound waves create a two-dimensional picture of your heart, which your cardiologist can use to observe your heart's movement, thickness of the chamber walls, external covering, and veins and arteries.
Radionuclide (nuclear) scans
Non-invasive, diagnostic scans using mildly radioactive material can provide your cardiologist with additional information about your heart's function. These procedures involve the injection of a small amount of radioactive dye into the bloodstream. (The radiation exposure is minimal—similar to that of an X-ray.) Depending on the type of scan, your doctor may be able to see how efficiently the heart pumps blood, how the heart contracts, locations of impaired blood flow and blocked arteries, and extent of any damage following a heart attack.
Cardiac catheterization procedures
Cardiac catheterization, sometimes referred to as "cath," procedures are used both in the diagnosis, as well as treatment, of heart problems. Cardiac catheterizations are performed in specialized laboratories, and the term broadly refers to any procedure in which catheters are placed in the heart. Coronary angiography is the most common among cardiac catheterization procedures, and is used to determine presence, location and severity of narrowing in the coronary arteries. To obtain a coronary angiogram, a small, hollow tube (catheter) is inserted into the artery at the groin or forearm and guided through the main artery into the heart. Dye is released, making the heart visible on an X-ray and showing the physician any narrowed arteries. Angiography also allows the physician to gauge blood pressure in different chambers, amount of oxygen in the blood, blockages and other problems with heart valves, and pumping capability of the heart muscle. Usually done under local anesthesia, a patient usually stays in the hospital for several hours following a diagnostic cardiac catheterization procedure.
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