Cardiovascular diagnostic procedures explore the function and health of the heart and blood vessels. The three procedures discussed are cardiac enzymes, stress testing, and echocardiography. Cardiac enzymes measure levels of specific enzymes in the blood related to heart injury. Stress testing evaluates heart function and stress tolerance using exercise. Echocardiography uses ultrasound to create images of the heart and assess function, heart disease, and treatment effectiveness. These procedures provide crucial information for diagnosing and treating cardiovascular abnormalities and disease.

1. CARDIOVASCULAR
DIAGNOSTIC PROCEDURES
Lauren Fowlkes

2. PROCEDURE TYPES
Cardiovascular diagnostics explore the
function and the current health of the
cardiovascular system (i.e. the heart,
arteries, veins and capillaries). The
procedures are used to diagnose and treat
a variety of cardiovascular abnormalities
and diseases. The three diagnostic
procedures addressed in this presentation
are…
 Cardiac Enzymes
 Stress Testing
 Echocardiography

3. CARDIAC ENZYMES
 The cardiac enzyme test is a basic blood test that
measures the level of specific enzymes related to
injury of the heart muscle.
 The enzymes measured in the test are creatine
phosphokinase (CPK), lactate dehydrogenase
(LDH) and glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase
(GOT).

4. INDICATIONS
 Elevated enzyme levels
could indicate that a patient
is having a heart attack or
has a threatening heart
attack.
 Elevated enzymes levels
post bypass surgery could
indicate injury of the heart
muscle as a result of
surgery.
 Subsided enzyme levels
could indicate that a
procedure or medicine has
successfully restored blood
flow to the injured area of
the heart.

5. STRESS TESTING
 The stress test evaluates cardiovascular fitness. A
trained technician uses a treadmill or bicycle to
determine the amount of stress one’s heart can
manage before an abnormal rhythm or evidence of
ischemia arises. These abnormalities are
monitored through electrocardiography (EKG),
oxygen levels, heart rate and blood pressure.

6. INFORMATION PROVIDED
 Whether or not a patient suffers from coronary
heart disease and needs further evaluation
 If there is adequate blood flow to the heart
 If a person’s heart medication is properly
controlling angina and ischemia
 If a person has abnormal heart rhythms
 Whether or not a procedure to improve blood flow
within heart vessels has been effective

7. ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY
 Echocardiography is the
study of a patient’s heart
muscle, heart valves and
their risk for heart disease
by the use of the
noninvasive ultrasound
technology. The test
produces ultrasound
generated images of the
heart.

8. TYPES OF ECHOCARDIOGRAMS
 Transthoracic echocardiogram- the
standard type that uses a hand held
ultrasound transducer on the patient’s
chest
 Transesophageal echocardiogram- the
transducer is placed in the patient’s
esophagus, which is located close to the
heart, allowing for the production of
clear images
 Stress echocardiogram- a standard
echocardiogram performed just prior to
and after a stress test
 Dobutamine stress echocardiogram- a
patient is given a drug that stimulates a
exercise responses in the heart and the
standard echocardiogram is performed
 Intravascular Ultrasound- the
transducer is threaded into heart blood
vessels via a catheter, providing Echocardiography Machine
detailed information about
atherosclerosis of heart blood vessels

9. INFORMATION PROVIDED
 Assessment of overall heart function
 If a patient has heart disease and if so
what type
 If a patient’s heart disease has progressed
 If medical or surgical treatments were
effective

10. CONCLUSION
 Cardiovascular diagnostic procedures are critical
to the assessment and treatment of patients
suffering from cardiovascular abnormalities and
heart disease. As science and medicine continue
to evolve, and as new research arises these
technologies are going to continue to expand the
information that these tests provide.