Important Procedures

Question 1

Echocardiogram/echocardiography/diagnostic cardiac ultrasound

Answer 1

Creates images of the heart and surrounding structures; measures ejection fraction

Question 2

Electrocardiogram (EKG, ECG)

Answer 2

Records electrical activity of the heart

Question 3

Cardiac stress test

Answer 3

Types include exercise-induced stress test, stress echo, and nuclear stress test

• Normal result: Uptake on exercise and at rest
• Ischemia result: No/reduced uptake on exercise, but uptake at rest (reperfusion)
• Infarct result: No uptake on exercise and no uptake at rest

Question 4

Cardiac catheterization

Answer 4

A group of procedures that includes coronary angiography and left ventricle angiography; can be diagnostic or therapeutic

Question 5

Holter monitoring/continuous ECG monitoring

Answer 5

The patient wears a monitor to evaluate heart rhythm over a period of time

Question 6

Venous Doppler

Answer 6

Estimates blood flow through vessels using sound waves

Question 7

Labs

Answer 7

• Troponin
• CK-MB
• BNP
• CBC
• Pericardial fluid analysis

Question 8

Imaging

Answer 8

• Cardiac MRI
• Cardiac CT
• Cardiac PET/CT
• Echocardiography
• Stress nuclear perfusion cardiac imaging
• SPECT/CT
• Gated SPECT blood pool imaging
• First pass imaging
• Carotid ultrasound
• Echocardiography

Question 9

Echocardiography: Types of Echocardiography

Answer 9

• 2-D and 3-D transthoracic echocardiography
• 2-D and 3-D transesophageal echocardiography
• Stress echocardiography
• Treadmill stress echo
• Bicycle stress echo
• Pharmacologic (dobutamine) stress echo
• Interventional echocardiography