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- $Unique_ID{BRK00831}
- $Pretitle{}
- $Title{The Process of "Cardiac Catheterization"}
- $Subject{catheterization heart Special Procedures procedure Laboratory Tests
- lab test Circulatory System cardiac catheter inject dye injection x-ray films
- ventriculogram pumping action}
- $Volume{P-3}
- $Log{
- The Heart's Blood Supply*0008901.scf}
-
- Copyright (c) 1991-92,1993 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
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- The Process of "Cardiac Catheterization"
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- QUESTION: My father is to undergo a heart test where a tube is to be placed
- in his arm and various examinations performed. What can you tell me about
- this process? We are concerned about Dad's well-being.
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- ANSWER: In cases where doctors need to test for heart disease, "cardiac
- catheterization" is often performed. A small, thin tube known as a catheter
- is inserted into a vein or artery in either the arm or groin, and and slowly
- advanced into the heart itself. (Since the interior of blood vessels have no
- nerve endings, this process is all but painless.)
- Once positioned in the heart, the doctor uses the catheter to inject a
- harmless contrast material also called a "dye" into the heart that will show
- up on x-ray films and permit filming the heart in action. (The injection of
- the dye itself may trigger a warm, flushing sensation.) This movie, known as
- a ventriculogram, reveals the heart's pumping action, a key indication of that
- critical muscle's health. This same method can also be used to inject dye
- into the arteries in order to create a similar x-ray record known as a
- coronary arteriogram.
- It may also be necessary to inject a variety of other medications through
- the catheter depending upon your Dad's medical condition, from heparin to thin
- blood, to nitroglycerin to dilate coronary arteries and reduce strain on the
- heart, as well as other drugs to control its rhythm and relieve angina. These
- tests can do much to evaluate your father's condition and assure that his
- treatment will be correct and effective.
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- The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace
- the counsel and advice of your personal physician. Promptly consulting your
- doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
- problem.
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