Barts and The London Heart and Chest Centre | Your journey of care | Diagnosing your condition
Diagnosing your condition
There are numerous tests that can now be done to diagnose your heart condition effectively.
Most of these tests are non-invasive which means they are carried out without the need for surgery or the removal of any bodily tissues.
Types of diagnostic tests
Click on the links below to find out more:
Electrocardiograms (ECGs)
Echocardiography
Exercise ECGs
Holter monitoring
CT/MRI scans
Positon Emission Tomography (PET) scans
Angiographer or catheter testing
Blood tests
Lung function/peak flow tests
Bronchoscopy
Electrocardiograms (ECGs)
This is a recording of the electrical activity of the heart and is used to diagnose heart rhythm problems. It also shows if you have had a heart attack and if your heart is strained or enlarged. Several patches are attached to your arms, legs and chest which are connected to a recording machine. The test takes about five minutes and isn't painful or uncomfortable.
Ultrasound waves are used to investigate and display the action of the heart as it beats on a screen. It's usually used on people who have had a heart attack or heart failure. The test can take up to an hour but doesn't hurt at all.
ECGs are used to monitor how the heart reacts to exercise, so you will usually be asked to walk/run on a treadmill. If you have chest pain symptoms, the test helps to show if these are caused by coronary heart disease and if so, how serious it is. It is also used after heart surgery to assess what level of exercise should take place as part of your rehabilitation. The test usually takes about 15 minutes.
This is where the heart rate is monitored over 24 hours. Similar to an ECG electrodes record the signals from the heart while you are at home. The recoring device is either attached to a belt or a strap which goes across the chest. You might also be asked to fill out a diary of events such as exercise, sleep and symptoms. The recording can then analysed by a computer system.
CT/MRI scans
Detailed pictures are produced of the organs and internal structures such as heart valves, vessels and blockages in arteries. The tests may take up to an hour and you may be asked not to eat or drink for a few hours before your appointment.
Position Emission Tomography (PET scan)
A small amount of radioactive material is injected into the blood stream. You may have to wait up to two and a half hours for the material to make its way through the blood stream before having a scan. The scan provides information on the flow of blood through the arteries to help decide the most appropriate form of treatment.
Angiography or catheter testing
This is an x-ray of the arteries, used to diagnose blockages or other abnormalities of the blood vessels. A thin tube called a catheter is inserted through a small nick in the skin into an artery.
The radiologist guides the catheter into the artery to be studied by manipulating it while watching on an x-ray monitor, using a fluoroscope. A contrast medium (x-ray dye) is then injected through the catheter while x-rays are taken to view the blood vessels.
The test takes between 20 minutes to an hour and you should not eat or drink before.
It is possible to tell if you have had a heart attack by examining the enzymes and proteins in your blood through a series of samples. An analysis of protein in your blood also helps to show the extent of damage to the heart muscle.
These tests measure how much air you can breathe in and out and the rate at which it comes out of your lungs.
A bronchoscopy is a routine investigation. A bronchoscope is a small narrow tube with a light and lens at the tip which allows your doctor to see inside your airway passages, lungs, voice box and windpipe.
It is also possible to take tissue samples for further examination.
There are two types of bronchoscopes – a flexible bronchoscope is a small narrow, tube with a light and lens at the tip. A small channel in the instrument allows small specimens to be obtained. This instrument can be passed through the nose or mouth into the air passage. You may not need a general anaesthetic for this.
The second type is known as a rigid bronchoscopy and has an open tube which can be inserted only through the mouth and is larger. It is often used for the removal of foreign objects from the airways or when a larger biopsy specimen maybe needed. You may need a general anaesthetic for this.
