Diagnostic procedures

Question 1

Ambulatory Electrocardiography

Answer 1

• ECG electrodes are placed on the chest and attached to a small battery-operated recording monitor carried in a pocket or in a small pouch around the neck. the ECG is recorded for 24-48 hours or longer to evaluate cardiac rhythm, the efficacy of medications, and pacemaker function. it is then correlated with a diary of the patient’s symptoms and activities

Question 2

angiography

Answer 2

• a radiologic examination that injects a contrast medium onto the blood vessels.
• coronary angiograms are part of the group of procedures known as cardiac catherization
• an angiogram can show the location of plaques in the coronary arteries and the extent of occlusion

Question 3

Bronchoscopy

Answer 3

• procedure for direct visualization of the bronchial tree performed for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes
• a bronchoscope is a fiber optic instrument that transmits an image to an eye piece or video camera and can identify tumors, bronchitis, foreign bodies, and bleeding
• tissue specimens may be removed from the lungs by biopsy or bronchoalveolar lavage

Question 4

Cardiac catheterization

Answer 4

• a thin catheter inserted into an artery in the leg or arm is advanced to teh coronary arteries where a contrast dye is injectced. teh test can evaluate narrowing or occlusion of the coronary arteries and measure BP in the heart and oxygen in the blood. Some treatments, such as coronary angioplasty, are performed using cardiac catheterization

Question 5

Carotid US

Answer 5

• procedure that uses sound waves to examine and visualize the structure and function of the carotid arteries. the purposes are to screen for blockages that may indicate an increased risk of stroke and to evaluate the placement of a stent or the function of the artery after carotid endarterectomy

Question 6

chest radiograph

Answer 6

• used to visualize the loctaion, size, and shape of the heart, lungs, blood vessels, ribs, and bones of teh spine
• chest radiographs can also reveal fluid in the lungs or pleural space, pneumonia, emphysema,cancer and other conditions

Question 7

Computed tomography CT

Answer 7

• diagnostic test that uses an x-ray machine that rotates around a patient lying on a table. A computer processes teh information from the scanner and creates a picture f the organ and surrounding structures.
• the pictures are slices of the body called tomograms and each picture is called a computed tomography
• the newest models of CT scanners allow pictures of teh coronary arteries to be taken without the need, in some cases, for catheterization

Question 8

Echocardiography

Answer 8

• uses high freq sound waves non-invasively to evaluate the functioning of the heart via real time images
• ## an echocardiogram can provide information on the size and function of the ventricles, thickness of the sputum and function of the walls, valves and chambers of the heart.

Question 9

electrophysiologic testing

Answer 9

• an electrophysiology study evaluates the rhythm or electrical conduction abnormalities of teh heart using three to five catheters inserted into a blood vessel and threaded to the heart. the recordings help to locate abnormal tissue that causes cardiac arrhythmias

Question 10

Fluroscopy

Answer 10

cont x-ray procedure that shows teh heart and lungs
-b/c fluroscopy involves a relatively high dose of radiation, it has been largely replaced by echocardiography and other diagnostic tests. it is still a component of cardiac catheterization and electrophysiological testing

Question 11

Invasive hemodynamic monitoring

Answer 11

• cont monitoring of cardiovascular status is performed by intra-arterial catheters and intravenous lines that measure pressure, volume, and temp.

Question 12

central venous pressure CVP line

Answer 12

-measures pressure in the vena cava or right atrium

Question 13

thermodilution catheter

Answer 13

can be used to measure CO.

Question 14

a balloon catheter, also known as a Swan-Ganz catheter,

Answer 14

is placed in the pulmonary artery to obtain the pulmonary artery wedge pressure and left atrial pressure.

Question 15

Magnetic Resonance Imaging MRI

Answer 15

• MRI uses a magnetic field and radio waves to create 3-D images of the heart and blood vessels to assess the size and function of the chambers, thickness and movement of teh walls, extent of damage caused by myocardial infarction or heart disease, structural problems in the aorta and teh presence of plaques and blockages in blood vessels
• MRI is also used to image masses located in the mediastinum, but is of limited value for imaging the lungs

Question 16

Myocardial Perfusion imaging MPI

Answer 16

• radionuclide stress test and nuclear stress test, teh test shows how well the heart muscle is perfused at rest and under exercise stress.
• a radionuclide agent is injected into the blood at rest and at a maximum level of exercise. images of the heart reveal areas that have reduced blood supply due to narrowing of one or more coronary arteries

Question 17

pharmacologic stress test

Answer 17

• a diagnostic procedure in which cardiovascular stress is induced by pharmacologic agents when contraindications to a routine exercise stress test exist, or when the pt is unable to exercise due to injury or another debilitating condition.
• it is used in combination with imaging modalities such as radionuclide imaging and echocardiography
• pharmacologic agents used include adenosine, dipyridamole, and dobutamine

Question 18

phonocardiography

Answer 18

• a diagnostic test that creates a graphic record, or phonocardiogram, of the sounds produced by the heart and great vessels
• the phonocardiogram supplements auscultation and improves the detection of S3 and S4 heart sounds in the diagnoses of heart failure

Question 19

pleuroscopy

Answer 19

• procedure that includes examination of the lung surfaces, pleura, and pleural space using a small video camera inserted between the ribs into teh pleural space
• a tissue sample may be taken to biopsy

Question 20

Positron emission tomography PET

Answer 20

• imaging test in which a small amount or radioactive material is injected, inhaled or swallowed, depending on the organ or tissue being studied. increased radioactive material tends to accumulate in areas with high levels of chemical activity corresponding to areas of disease
• this presents as a different color or brighter spots on the scan
• a PET scan is useful in evaluating heart disease and cancer

Question 21

thoracentesis

Answer 21

• procedure that includes removal of fluid from the pleural space with a needle for microbiologic and cytologic studies

Question 22

venography

Answer 22

• radioplaque dye is injected into a vein while an x-ray procedure creates an image of teh vein to detect a clot or blockage

Question 23

Ventilation- Perfusion Scan

Answer 23

• also known as lung scan or V/Q scan, the study uses small amounts of radioactive material to study airflow and blood flow within the lungs. it is used most commonly in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism