heart and blood vessel disorders
Introduction to Diagnosis of Heart and Blood Vessel Disorders
Introduction
Sometimes, Medical History and Diagnostic procedures can be Noninvasive Minimally invasive Noninvasive testsdo not require an incision or a needle puncture other than sometimes a blood draw or a standard short intravenous (IV) catheter placed into a vein in the arm. These tests include Computed Tomography (CT) of the Heart (CT) Electrocardiography (ECG) Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the Heart (MRI) Positron Emission Tomography (PET) of the Heart (PET) Radionuclide Imaging of the Heart None Stress Testing None Tilt Table Testing None Echocardiography and Other Ultrasound Procedures (including echocardiography) X-Rays of the Chest None Fluoroscopy (a procedure that uses continuous x-rays) is used infrequently. Blood tests to measure levels of sugar (to test for diabetes), cholesterol, and other substances are often done to look for disorders that can cause heart disease. Minimally invasive testingtypically requires a long flexible catheter, which is inserted into a blood vessel in the wrist, neck or thigh and advanced inside of the blood vessel to the heart. These tests include Cardiac Catheterization and Coronary Angiography None Cardiac Catheterization and Coronary Angiography None Central Venous Catheterization None Electrophysiologic Testing None Most of these procedures carry very small risk, but the risk increases with the complexity of the procedure, the severity of the heart disorder, and the severity of any other medical conditions the person has. Sometimes treatments can be given during certain minimally invasive diagnostic tests. For example, Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for people with 