Investigations

The following sections are included:

• Blood Tests

  • General blood tests

  • Specific tests

• Electrocardiography (ECG)

  • Cardiac conduction pathway explained — The 3-step approach

  • When should I request an ECG?

  • Where do I place the ECG leads?

  • What does this ECG show?

  • Rhythm

  • Rate

  • Cardiac axis

  • P wave

  • PR interval

  • QRS complex

  • ST segment

  • T wave

  • QT interval

• Anatomical Localisation of Myocardial Infarction

• ECG Examples

• Exercise Tolerance Test (ETT)

  • What are the indications for an exercise ECG?

  • What is a ‘Positive Test’?

• Cardiac Imaging

• Echocardiography (ECHO)

  • Echocardiography basics

  • When should I request an Echo?

  • Types of scans

  • What does this echocardiogram show?

• Stress Echocardiography

  • Advantages over exercise ECG

• Transoesophageal Echocardiography (TOE)

  • When should I request a TOE?

  • Side effects

  • Contra-indications

• Myocardial Perfusion Scan (Thallium or MIBI Scan)

• MUGA — Multi Gated Acquisition Scan

• Coronary Angiography

  • How is an angiogram performed?

  • What happens after the procedure?

  • What are the risks of the procedure?

  • What is an angioplasty?

  • When should a coronary angioplasty be performed?

  • Special precautions

  • Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) versus thrombolysis

  • Post-procedure

  • What is the risk of restenosis post-procedure?

  • New developments in coronary angiography and angioplasty

• CT Coronary Angiogram

  • Side effects

  • Contra-indications

  • Prior to procedure

  • During the procedure

  • Interpreting the data