Heart Care Diagnosis in Davenport

Heart rhythm tests are used to evaluate the electrical activity of your heart and find muscle damage that can cause heart disease. They include tests such as:

• Electrocardiograms, also called ECG or EKG, which use sensors placed on your chest, arms and legs to record your heart’s electrical activity
• Electrophysiology studies, which use catheters to reach your heart and find where arrhythmias begin
• Event monitors, which are wearable devices that you can activate when you feel symptoms
• Holter monitors, which are wearable devices that record your heart’s electrical activity continuously for 24 to 48 hours
• Transesophageal echocardiograms, which use sound waves to show how well the valves and chambers of your heart are working

Nuclear medicine scans use a small amount of radioactive substance, called a tracer, to illuminate the blood flow within your heart’s structure. If your doctor suspects you have heart disease, you may be asked to have a nuclear medicine scan, such as:

• Myocardial perfusion scan, also called a nuclear stress test, which uses a radioactive tracer to assess blood flow after you exercise on a treadmill
• PET/CT scan, which combines a PET scan with computed tomography (CT) to produce various views of the heart
• Positron emission tomography (PET), which uses a radioactive tracer administered into a vein to assess blood flow

Imaging tests allow your doctor to capture clear images of your heart muscle, valves, veins and arteries. These painless and safe imaging options include:

• Computed Tomography (CT) Scans, which take detailed images of your heart from several angles
• Echocardiograms, or echoes, which use high frequency sound waves to make moving images of your heart as it pumps
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging, which uses strong magnets and a computer to take images of the blood vessels in your heart
• X-Rays, which can show the heart’s shape but not its internal structures

Cardiac catheterization, also called coronary angiogram, helps check blood flow and identify blockages. Cardiac catheterization can also be used for some heart treatments, such as opening a vessel or placing a stent.

Your doctor will insert a long, flexible tube called a catheter into a vessel in your groin, upper thigh, arm or neck to your heart. With the catheter in place, your doctor can perform tests, such as injecting a dye to show blood flow.