Heart Diagnosis

An accurate diagnosis is the first step in treating any sort of heart abnormality or disease. Please speak with your McKee Medical Center specialists to find out what test is best for you.

Cardiac Catheterization
A diagnostic cardiac catheterization is a special study of the heart that  allows the physician to see the chambers, valves or coronary arteries. A doctor guides a thin plastic tube or catheter through an artery or vein in the arm or groin.

Echocardiography
During an echocardiogram, also called an echo, a technician uses a painless technique to send sound waves into the patient’s chest. This produces a moving picture of the heart and heart valves.

Electrocardiography (ECG)
Also called EKG, an electrocardiogram measures the electrical activity in a heartbeat. Patients can be hooked to electrodes or wear a heart monitor (a small box that weighs less than one pound). The monitoring devices send signals to a technician that observes the heart rate and rhythm.

Nuclear Imaging
Nuclear medicine is a unique type of medical imaging that uses very small and safe amounts of radioactive materials with a specialized camera to diagnose and treat disease. Heart scans are most often used to image blood flow to, and the function of, the heart.

Treadmill Stress Testing
Stress/exercise testing involves studying the heart while under maximum cardiac stress. It allows a technician to measure the heart's efficiency.

For More Information
	Podcasts: Cardiac tests info
	Video: What happens in a cardiac stress test
	What is your risk for coronary artery disease?