Heart Attack : Diagnosis

by National Institute on Aging

(Page 3 of 5)

Diagnosis and Treatment

Diagnosis and treatment of a heart attack can begin when emergency personnel arrive after you call 9-1-1. Do not put off calling 9-1-1 because you are not sure that you are having a heart attack.

At the hospital emergency room, doctors will work fast to find out if you are having or have had a heart attack. They will consider your symptoms, medical and family history, and test results. Initial tests will be quickly followed by treatment if you are having a heart attack.

Tests used in diagnosing a heart attack include an electrocardiogram, blood tests, nuclear heart scan, cardiac catheterization, and coronary angiography.

The electrocardiogram, also known as ECG or EKG, is used to measure the rate and regularity of your heartbeat.

Blood tests are also used in diagnosing a heart attack. When cells in the heart die, they release enzymes into the blood. They are called markers or biomarkers. Measuring the amount of these markers in the blood can show how much damage was done to your heart. Doctors often repeat these tests to check for changes.

The nuclear heart scan uses radioactive tracers to outline the heart chambers and major blood vessels leading to and from the heart. A nuclear heart scan shows any damage to your heart muscle.

In cardiac catheterization, a thin, flexible tube is passed through an artery in your groin or arm to reach the coronary arteries. This test allows your doctor to

• determine blood pressure and flow in the heart's chambers
• collect blood samples from the heart, and
• examine the arteries of the heart by x-ray.

Coronary angiography is usually done with the cardiac catheterization. A dye that can be seen on an x-ray is injected through the catheter into the coronary arteries. It shows where there are blockages and how severe they are.

Quiz

1. Tests used in diagnosing a heart attack include

A. electrocardiogram.
B. blood tests.
C. nuclear heart scan.
D. all of the above.

D is the correct answer. Doctors will assess your symptoms and perform tests to determine if you are having or have had a heart attack. The tests may include electrocardiogram, blood tests, nuclear heart scan, cardiac catheterization, and coronary angiography.

2. The blood test used to detect a heart attack checks for

A. blood sugar.
B. enzymes.
C. radioactivity.
D. hormones.

B is the correct answer. When cells in the heart die, they release enzymes into the blood. Measuring the amount of these enzymes, or markers in the blood can show how much damage was done to your heart.

3. Diagnosis and treatment for a heart attack can begin

A. once you are admitted to the hospital.
B. once your doctor arrives.
C. as soon as the emergency medical technicians arrive, following your call to 9-1-1.
D. after an x-ray.

C is the correct answer. Calling 9-1-1 can help you get treatment faster than if you go to the hospital by car. The emergency personnel can start diagnosis and treatment as soon as they arrive.

4. A procedure in which your doctor injects a dye into a thin flexible tube in your arteries is called

A. coronary bypass surgery.
B. nuclear scan.
C. electrocardiogram.
D. coronary angiography.

D is the correct answer. A coronary angiography lets your doctor determine blood flow in the arteries in the heart and see where there are blockages.

About the Author

www.nia.nih.gov
NIA, one of the 27 Institutes and Centers of NIH, leads a broad scientific effort to understand the nature of aging and to extend the healthy, active years of life. In 1974, Congress granted authority to form NIA to provide leadership in aging research, training, health information dissemination, and other programs relevant to aging and older people.