Echocardiogram
Cardiovascular
System Tests: Echocardiogram
Some heart problems are easier
to diagnose when the heart is working hard and beating quickly.
During stress testing, a patient exercises or is given medicine
to make the heart work harder and beat quickly while heart tests
are performed. An exercise stress test is where your heart, breathing,
and blood pressure are monitored while you exercise on a treadmill
or a stationary bicycle. An EKG is usually done before, during,
and after the stress test.
In addition to an EKG, other heart tests, such as nuclear heart
scanning or echocardiography, can also be done at the same time.
During nuclear heart scanning, radioactive dye is injected into
the bloodstream, and a special camera shows the flow of blood
to the heart muscle. If a person is unable to exercise, a medicine
can be injected into the bloodstream to make the heart work harder
and beat quickly. Nuclear heart scanning or echocardiography is
then done.
Two newer tests that are being done with stress testing are magnetic
resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET)
scanning of the heart. MRI shows detailed images of the structures
and beating of the heart. PET scanning shows blood flow to the
heart and areas of damaged heart muscle.
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