Cardiovascular Testing
Munson Healthcare Charlevoix Hospital offers non-invasive heart and vascular testing close to home. You don't need to travel to access many of the latest diagnostics. Tests are conducted at the hospital and interpreted by cardiologists for the region’s leading heart program by partnering with Traverse Heart & Vascular (THV), a service of Munson Medical Center in Traverse City. - your connection to advanced care when needed.
Stress Test/Stress Echoes
A stress test shows how well your heart works during physical activity. Come to your stress test prepared to exercise in comfortable clothing and walking shoes. During the test, you will exercise (walk or run on a treadmill) to make your heart beat faster while being monitored by a cardiovascular technologist.
A painless stress echocardiogram is performed with the stress test. An ultrasound image is obtained of your heart before and after exercise to offer more diagnostic information. An echocardiogram can tell many important things about your heart including its size, how strongly it pumps blood, and how well the valves are working. It is also very useful for identifying many of the common problems that can occur with the heart. Your physician may order an echocardiogram to be done with an exercise (stress) test to determine how your heart functions when it is made to work harder through exercise.
If you are unable to use a treadmill, you will be given a medication through an intravenous line (IV), most commonly Dobutamine. This drug stimulates the heart to create an effect similar to vigorous exercise.
Your stress echo will be performed by a technologist called a sonographer. A sonographer has received special training in operating the echo equipment to make sure the most detailed pictures of your heart are obtained.
Cardiolite® Stress Test
The Cardiolite® Stress Test is used to determine how well your heart is working at rest and during exertion. Over time, a person’s heart may accumulate fatty material in the coronary arteries, causing them to narrow. This is called coronary atherosclerosis, commonly known as coronary artery disease. Sometimes, this can result in the heart not receiving enough blood during stressful activities.
A special camera captures detailed pictures of how your heart functions before and after exercise for approximately 15 minutes each time. To be effective, the test requires a waiting period of 45 minutes after injection. A cardiolite stress test is done in conjunction with nuclear imaging. Like a regular stress test, this involves being monitored by a cardiovascular technologist while exercising (walking or running on a treadmill) or with pharmacological aid. In addition, computer images are taken by a nuclear technologist before and after the stress test. While this procedure takes longer than a traditional stress test, the results are more detailed, aiding in diagnosis.
What to Expect - An intravenous line (IV) will be started in your arm and a radioisotope called Cardiolite will be injected two times, before and after the stress portion of test.
How to Prepare - Wear comfortable clothing and walking shoes (no high heels). Do not eat, drink, or smoke 4 hours prior to the test. No food, beverages, or medications that contain caffeine for at least 12 hours before the test. Bring a list of your current medications and ask your physician whether you should take your regular medications prior to the test.
General Information - The entire test takes about four hours. If you have any additional questions about the test, please ask your physician. Results will be sent to your physician within 24 hours after the test is performed.
Other Tests
Vascular Testing - In most cases, vascular disease can be treated effectively if it is detected early. Non-invasive, painless diagnostic tests can detect vascular disease. These tests include:
Carotid Doppler - Sound frequency is used to produce images of the carotid arteries in the neck and evaluate blood flow through these arteries.
Venous Duplex of Extremities - A venous ultrasound exam is a way to search for blood clots, in the veins of the leg and arm.
Arterial Duplex of Extremities - Ultrasound imaging of the major arteries in the arms and legs allows the physician to diagnose arterial disease.
Arterial Physiological Testing -
Arterial/Brachial Index - This test measures blood pressure at the ankle and in the arm while you are at rest. Measurements are usually repeated at both sites after five minutes of walking on a treadmill. This test is done to screen for peripheral arterial disease of the legs.
Doppler Ultrasound - Reflected sound waves show how blood flows through a blood vessel. It helps doctors evaluate blood flow through major arteries and veins in the arms, legs, and neck.
Segmental Pressures/VPR - This test measures blood pressure in your arms and legs to check for arterial disease and determine where there could b e a lesion or narrowing in the artery.
Endovenous Ablation - This minimally invasive treatment is used for varicose veins and chronic venous insufficiency. Normally, blood circulates from the heart to the legs via arteries and back to the heart through veins. Veins contain one-way valves which allow blood to return from the legs against gravity. If the valves are not opening and closing, blood pools in leg veins which can become enlarged or varicose. Endovenous ablation is an ultrasound-guided procedure that uses heat generated by radiofrequency to seal off these faulty vessels, diverting blood flow to healthy veins.
Cardiac Echo/Doppler - Adult and pediatric echocardiograms are pain-free tests in which ultrasound is used to examine the heart. Doppler is a special part of the ultrasound exam that assesses blood flow. It gives the physician valuable information about the size of the heart chambers, pumping function of the heart, and valve function.
Holter Monitoring - A Holter monitor continuously records a patient’s EKG for 24 - 48 hours. A portable monitor is worn with electrodes attached to the chest, recording electrical signals from the heart during normal daily activity. It is much more likely to detect an abnormal heart rhythm when compared to an EKG because it lasts for an extended period.
Event Monitoring - Event monitoring involves wearing a very small, portable heart recorder over a period of time that can vary from weeks to a month. When a patient is having a heart event, he or she just pushes a button to record what is happening. The recorded data can be sent over a land-line phone to your doctors for analysis. There is also a wireless heart recorder that can be ordered, which sends the information automatically.