1. 3 TYPES OF DIAGNOSITIC PROCEDURES FOR THE CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM By: Mark Paola

2. Diagnostic Procedures Discussed Stress Tests- 3 Types Holter Monitor Measuring Cardiac Enzymes via Blood Testing

3. Stress Tests A Stress Test is one of many tests used to diagnose patients for heart disease. There are several types of stress tests. We will review three.

4. 3 Kinds of Stress Tests Treadmill Test Dobutamine or Adenosine Stress Echocardiogram (EKG)

5. Treadmill Test Usually the first of many tests performed to detect heart problems in a patient. The patient will walk on a treadmill while being monitored with an Electrocardiogram attached to the patient to see how far the patient can walk and if they develop any chest pain or changes in the ECG that may suggest the heart is not receiving the proper blood to function properly.

6. ECHOCARDIOGRAM (ECHO) An Echocardiogram or ECHO is a graphic outline of a patients heart activity. It can be accurate in visualizing the motion of the hearts walls and pumping action. When the heart is stressed it may reveal lack of the blood flow where the other tests above may not show.

7. Nuclear Stress Test This test assists in determining which parts of the heart are functioning or not? A very minute amount of radioactive substance is injected into the patient. The doctor will then use a camera to locate the rays emitted from the substance within the body. This procedure produces clear pictures of the heart tissue on a monitor. The pictures are taken before and after exercise to compare. The locations where there have a decreased blood supply will be seen.

8. Holter Monitor Device The Holter Monitor Device is a portable device for continuous monitoring various electrical activity of a patients heart activity. A portable device with a method for monitoring cardiac arrhythmias or even epileptic events. The patient can wear this and can go on with their daily routine. It can be worn from a few hours to a few days. This is done usually after an Electrocardiogram isn’t able to give enough information on the patients heart condition. There are several devices some more modern than others. The electrodes are attached to the body to provide accurate information about heart beat morphology, beat interval measurement, heart beat variability rhythm overview- graphs of patients activity. Also used for those patients who have pacemakers. It can detect and analyze to determine if the pacemaker functions correctly.

9. Cardiac Enzymes Cardiac Enzymes measure the levels of the enzymes protein troponin (Tnl, TnT) and creatinephosphokinase (CPK, CK), Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and Glutamicoxaloacetictransaminase (GOT) Normally our bodies have low levels of these enzymes in the blood. An increase in the level of these enzymes may indicate heart muscle damage, such as a myocardial infarction. If the heart muscle is injured, such as from a heart attack, these enzymes and proteins leak out of the damaged heart muscle cells, and the levels in the bloodstream rise. Note: These results need to be considered along with other findings, such as ECG and EKG. These tests are done by drawing blood every 8-12 hours after a suspected heart attack in ordert to monitor the changes in enzyme levels.