The Baptist Heart & Vascular Institute's cardiovascular lab offers electrocardiograms, echocardiograms, stress testing and nuclear studies of the heart.
Electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG)
An electrocardiogram is a recording of the heart's electrical activity on a strip of moving paper. It is one of the first tests used to diagnose heart disease, although a normal EKG doesn't guarantee that the heart and coronary arteries are normal. Many patients receive EKGs prior to having surgery to make sure the heart is functioning normally.
Echocardiogram
An echocardiogram uses sound waves to produce pictures of the heart in motion. It is used to diagnose abnormalities of the heart valves, the heart muscle and the fluid-filled sac surrounding the heart.
Transesophageal Echocardiogram
A transesophageal echocardiogram is performed by positioning an ultrasound probe in the esophagus, behind and below the heart. It is used to diagnose the extent of heart valve disease and assess the effectiveness of valve repair or replacement surgery.
Stress Testing
Stress testing helps your doctor evaluate your heart at rest, while your heart rate is increasing as you exercise on a treadmill or as a result of medication, and after your heart rate reaches its peak. The test can show how well the heart muscle is contracting and if portions of the heart muscle are deprived of blood. Your doctor may also order a stress test to determine the safety of an exercise program.
Nuclear Medicine
Nuclear scans of the heart involve injection of a radioactive isotope followed by one or two 30-minute scans under a gamma camera. Cardiac scans are helpful in finding coronary artery disease and can be used to:
- detect heart attacks, by showing if part of the heart muscle has been damaged;
- measure the heart's pumping action; and
- study the heart's ability to expand and contract.
Nuclear scans are often done in conjunction with stress testing.
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