Cardiology focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of the cardiovascular system – heart, arteries, and veins. Your Cardiologist may order specialized testing to determine which treatment options are best for you. Those tests can be performed here at Memorial Hospital, close to home, saving you time and money.
217-357-2173
1454 North County Road 2050
Carthage, IL
Some of the tests that may be ordered for you include:
Cardiac Stress Testing – Electrocardiographic (EKG) examination of the heart at rest and at various levels of exercise. May reveal abnormalities of the blood supply to the heart muscle and/or abnormalities of the heart rhythm not seen at rest. May be performed on a treadmill or an IV drug may be administered to simulate the heart at exercise. Often performed in conjunction with Nuclear Cardiology Stress.
What is the Regular Treadmill Stress Test?
This test can determine if your heart is healthy or if you have any blockages that could lead to heart disease or heart attack. We will connect you to a heart monitor and obtain your baseline heart rhythm and blood pressure. After that, you will exercise on the treadmill at different speeds and elevations. Your heart rhythm and blood pressure will be monitored continuously during the exercise portion of the test. The entire procedure will last about an hour, and the information collected will help your provider determine the appropriate plan of care for you.
How do I prepare for the Regular Treadmill Stress Test?
- You may eat a light breakfast before your test if you desire.
- Wear comfortable clothing and footwear appropriate for brisk exercise on a treadmill.
- Your provider may give you special instructions regarding your regular medications, as they may decrease the accuracy of the test
Cardioversion – A procedure used to convert an irregular heart rhythm to a normal heart rhythm by applying electric shock or using certain medications.
Computer Tomographic Angiography Computed Tomographic Angiography – (64 slice CCTA) is a new, state-of-the-art, non-invasive, diagnostic tool that visualizes the myocardium (heart), aorta, lungs and coronary circulation and may dramatically alter the way cardiac and vascular diseases such as coronary artery disease (CAD), dissections and aneurysms of the aorta, and atrial fibrillation are diagnosed, evaluated and treated.
Doppler Study – A diagnostic study using special tool that detects the presence or absence of flow in blood vessels through the skin.
ECG or EKG Tracings – Electrocardiogram – A test that records the electrical activity of the heart muscle and rhythm, usually done while the patient is lying down at rest.
Echocardiogram – Use of high frequency sound waves to visualize continuous blood and heart movements.
Event Monitoring – A small recording device, worn for up to 30 days while the patient performs their normal daily activities. When the patient experiences a symptom (or “event”) that might be heart related, the patient activates a memory record button on the device. Then the device will typically store the heart rhythm that occurred 45 seconds before and 15 seconds after the record button press. The device’s memory is then downloaded for the physician to examine.
Holter Monitoring – A small device, worn by the patient while the patient performs their normal daily activities. The device provides continuous recording of the electrical activity of the heart for 24 hours or more to determine abnormalities.
Nuclear Cardiology/Nuclear Stress Testing – Imaging of the heart at work (exercise) and at rest using injection of a harmless radioactive tracer and a gamma camera that produces comparative pictures of the blood supply to the heart muscle at work and at rest. May be performed on a treadmill or an IV drug may be administered to simulate the heart at exercise.
This test can help determine if your heart is healthy or if you have any blockage of the arteries of your heart that could lead to heart disease or a heart attack. We will inject you with medication and/or a nuclear isotope and will connect you to a heart monitor. After obtaining your baseline heart rhythm and blood pressure, we will direct you to exercise on a treadmill. Your heart rhythm and blood pressure will be monitored continuously during the exercise portion of the test. After that, one of our trained professionals will take images of your heart in order to illustrate to the provider the blood flow to different areas of your heart.
What directions should I follow for the second (exercise) day of the Nuclear Medicine Two-Day Stress Test?
- Do not eat or drink anything after midnight except plain water.
- Wear comfortable clothing and shoes appropriate to walking on the treadmill.
- You may be given special instructions regarding your regular medications, as they may decrease the accuracy of the test.
- Do not eat or drink any foods or liquids containing caffeine or alcohol, or any decaffeinated products, for 12 hours before the test. This includes chocolate, tea and soft drinks unless labeled caffeine-free.
- You will be injected with medication and/or an isotope. Then you will be connected to a heart monitor and we will obtain your baseline heart rhythm and blood pressure. After that, you will be asked to exercise on the treadmill at different speeds and elevations or you may be given a medication to increase your heart rate without exercise. Your heart rhythm and blood pressure will be monitored continuously during the exercise portion of the test. Images of your heart will be taken, which will show the provider the blood flow to different areas of your heart.
Pacemaker Clinic – The Pacemaker clinic is held quarterly at Memorial Hospital with a professional from Medtronic assisting in the evaluation of each pacemaker.
