The first step in addressing a heart condition is getting an
accurate diagnosis. Fortunately, those in the Grove City
area need not drive to Pittsburgh to have the tests that
provide answers a physician needs to prescribe the
appropriate treatment. Grove City Medical Center offers a
full range of diagnostic tests for heart problems,
including:
EKG
A non-invasive test, which is simple and painless. Using
electrodes attached to the chest, it records the heart’s
electrical activity. With each heartbeat, an electrical
signal spreads from the top of the heart to the bottom. As
it travels, the signal causes the heart to contract and pump
blood. The process repeats with each new heartbeat. The
heart’s electrical signals set the rhythm of the heartbeat.
Holter Monitor
A small machine that is worn close to the body for 24-48
hours to monitor the heart’s activity during normal daily
activities.
Electrodes (small conducting patches) are stuck onto your
chest and attached to a small recording monitor. You carry
the Holter monitor in a pocket or small pouch worn around
your neck or waist. The monitor is battery operated.
While you wear the monitor, it records your heart's
electrical activity. You should keep a diary of what
activities you do while wearing the monitor. After 24 - 48
hours, you return the monitor to your doctor's office. The
doctor will look at the records and see if there have been
any irregular heart rhythms.
It is very important that you accurately record your
symptoms and activities so that the doctor can match them
with your Holter monitor findings.
Event Monitor
A cardiac event monitor is a device used to monitor patients
with transient cardiac symptoms. This monitor can be worn
for up to 30 days, and can normally store approximately 5
“cardiac events” usually lasting 30-60 seconds in duration.
Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitor
No larger than a cell phone, this monitor measures blood
pressure at intervals, noting fluctuations throughout the
day. Often, when a patient’s blood pressure is taken in
during a physician visit, it may register higher than normal
because the patient is feeling particularly stressed. The
ambulatory blood pressure monitor provides a true picture of
a patient’s blood pressure patterns as they go about their
normal daily activities.
Stress Test
The most effective way to see how a patient’s heart responds
to physical stress is to create that scenario under a
controlled environment. During a stress test, a patient
walks briskly on a treadmill while connected to a heart
monitor. Images taken before and after the physical
activity, as well as the read out of the monitor provide the
physician with an accurate report of the condition of the
heart.
Low Risk Cardiac Catheterization
Cardiac catheterization is performed by a cardiologist and
helps your doctor detect and diagnose clogged arteries, valve
defects, or heart muscle damage. It can also confirm that
the heart is normal, providing reassurance that a patient’s
symptoms are not related to heart problems.
Cardiac catheterization is performed by placing a thin
flexible tube, or catheter, into a blood vessel and
advancing it to the heart so that it can show the pumping
ability of the heart and the blood flow through the coronary
arteries.
Cardiac Rehab
Following a cardiac event, such as a heart attack or an
interventional procedure, patients benefit greatly from
Grove City Medical Center’s 12-week rehabilitation program,
which helps them return to their activities of daily living.
Through the program, patients exercise under the direction
of specially trained nurses, who also help them develop an
individualized plan for lifestyle changes to avoid further
cardiac issues, including diet and fitness. |
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