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Cardiac Care
Diagnosis of Cardiovascular Disease
Diagnosis of Cardiovascular Disease
Holy Cross Hospital offers a full range of diagnostic and interventional capabilities to evaluate heart disease including the following.
Echocardiography
This test uses ultrasound to create an image of
the size, shape and motion of the heart. This helps a doctor locate
and assess damage caused by heart attack. A device called a transducer,
pressed against the chest, sends ultrasound waves toward the heart.
The waves bounce off heart tissues and return to the transducer, which
sends all of the data from the test to a computer. The computer uses
the information to create an image of the heart.
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Find out more about diagnostic tests for heart attack. |
Electrocardiogram
Also known as an ECG or EKG, this painless
test is done with electrodes attached to your legs, arms and trunk.
The electrodes record electrical activity in the heart, and reveal
rhythm abnormalities that can be caused by damaged heart tissue.
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Find out more about diagnostic tests for heart attack. |
Cardiac catheterization
Cardiac catheterization is a procedure that adds
an injection of radiographic contrast dye to X-ray imaging to allow
doctors to see inside your heart and surrounding arteries. It can
confirm or exclude a suspected problem, clarify confusing symptoms
or even be used to treat a known condition.
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Read more about cardiac catheterization. |
64-slice computed tomography (CT) imaging
Our
state-of-the-art 64-slice CT scans use special X-ray equipment and
a computer to create cross-sectional images of the heart at an unprecedented
speed. These scans are more detailed than regular X-rays and give doctors
a view of the coronary arteries not previously possible without a more
invasive procedure. CT scans are noninvasive and painless and can help
your doctor make the best diagnosis and determine the best treatment
for you.
Cardiac calcium scoring
Cardiac calcium scoring is a great way for people
with cardiac risk factors, such as high cholesterol or high
blood pressure, to detect the earliest signs of atherosclerosis, the
leading cause of heart disease. This noninvasive, quick and painless
test uses CT (computed tomography) imaging to measure the calcium
deposits in the arteries of your heart. More calcification
in the coronary arteries increases the risk of blockages that may lead
to a heart attack or stroke. By tracking the amount of calcium accumulating
in your arteries, calcium scoring can alert you to seek treatment
and prevent a heart attack.
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For more information about cardiac calcium scoring, call the Holy Cross Hospital Radiology Department at 301.754.7658. |
Emergency angioplasty for heart attack
During
this procedure, a tiny balloon is placed on the tip of a long, thin
tube called a catheter. The catheter is threaded into the clogged artery
and the balloon is inflated. This widens the artery and improves blood
flow to your heart. A wire mesh tube, called a stent, is sometimes left
in the artery to keep it open.
About Our Program
Heart Health: Education and
Exercise