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Testing For A Heart Attack
Testing For A Heart Attack
If you think you’re having a heart attack,
get help at once. Don’t wait to be sure. Call
9-1-1 right away. Delay can be deadly.
Once you get help, you will undergo tests to see
if a heart attack has actually occurred. Some tests
are done at the hospital, while others can be done
by emergency medical personnel who come in an ambulance.
Key heart
attack tests are:
Electrocardiogram (ECG
or EKG). This is a graphic record
of the electrical activity of the heart as it contracts
and relaxes. The ECG can detect abnormal heartbeats,
some areas of damage, inadequate blood flow, and heart
enlargement.
Blood test.
A blood test will be done routinely to check for enzymes
or other substances that are released when cells begin
to die. These are "markers" of the amount
of damage to your heart.
Nuclear scan.
This test shows areas of the heart that lack blood
flow and are damaged. It also can reveal problems
with the heart’s pumping action. A small amount
of radioactive material is injected into a vein, usually
in the arm. A scanning camera positioned over the
heart records whether the nuclear material is taken
up by the heart muscle (healthy areas) or not (damaged
areas). The camera also can evaluate how well the
heart muscle pumps blood. This test can be done during
both rest and exercise, enhancing the usefulness of
its results.
Coronary angiography
(or arteriography). This test is used
to check blockages and narrowed areas inside coronary
arteries. A fine tube (catheter) is threaded through
an artery of an arm or leg up into the heart. A dye
that shows up on X ray is then injected into the blood
vessel, and the vessels and heart are filmed as the
heart pumps. The picture is called an angiogram or arteriogram.
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