Cardiopulmonary Services
Services provided by our Cardiopulmonary department include:
- Cardiac Holter Monitoring
- 30 day Cardiac Event Monitoring
- EEG (Electroencephalogram)
- EKG
- Pulmonary Function Testing
- Sleep Studies
- Overnight Pulse Oximetry monitoring
- Smoking Cessation Counseling
- Treadmill Stress Tests
Cardiac Holter Monitoring
What is a Holter monitor?
A Holter monitor is a small rechargeable device that attaches in one location on your chest by means of an adhesive patch. This device can be worn up to 5 days and does allow bathing while wearing. The Holter monitor records your EKG as you go about your daily activities. This information will then be downloaded and reviewed by a cardiologist to assess any irregular heart arrhythmias.
Quick Facts:
You may be asked to wear a Holter monitor to see if you have a slow, fast or irregular (uneven) heartbeat. Or, your doctor may use it to see how well your medicines are working to treat these problems.
This monitor has no risks and wearing it isn’t painful.
The results of wearing a Holter monitor will help you and your doctor decide if you need more tests or medicines for your heart, or if you need a pacemaker or cardioversion procedure to restore a regular heart rhythm.
Why do people wear Holter monitors?
Regular electrocardiograms (EKGs) let your doctor look at your heart’s activity at one point in time during your EKG test, but abnormal heart rhythms and cardiac symptoms may come and go. That’s why your doctor may want to evaluate your heartbeat over time while you go about your normal activities. You may be asked to wear a Holter monitor if you have a fast, slow or irregular heartbeat called arrhythmia.
30 day Cardiac event monitor
Our cardiac event monitors transmit your EKG to a computer that is continuously monitored for any cardiac irregularities. If you have a life threatening rhythm, NCKMed or the cardiologist will be notified immediately. The sensor is small and attaches to your chest. There are no wires and it is removed for showers and then replaced. There are no risks when using a cardiac event monitor.
Why do people need to use a cardiac event monitor?
Tests such as EKGs let your doctor look at your heart’s activity at rest and at one point in time, but abnormal heart rhythms and cardiac symptoms may come and go. The main purpose of an event monitor is to record your heart rate and rhythm during a symptom (“event”). They monitor your heart rhythm continuously and also have a record button for when you have symptoms. Your doctor may recommend an event monitor when symptoms are infrequent – less than daily. Event monitors can be worn up to 30 days.
You may be asked to wear a cardiac event monitor if you have fast, slow, or irregular heartbeats called arrhythmias.
Pulmonary Function Testing (PFTs)
What is pulmonary function testing?
Pulmonary Function tests (also called PFTs or lung function tests) help determine how well your lungs are functioning. The results of these tests tell your physician how much air your lungs can hold, how quickly you can move air into and out of your lungs and how well your lungs are functioning. The results of these tests tell your physician how much air your lungs can hold, how quickly you can move air into and out of your lungs and how well your lungs are able to use oxygen and get rid of carbon dioxide. The tests help your physician determine if you have a lung disease, help provide a measure of how significant your lung disease is, and can show how well the treatment for your lung disease is working.
Purpose
Pulmonary function tests can help your doctor diagnose a range of respiratory diseases which might not otherwise be obvious to the doctor or the patient. These tests are important since many kinds of lung problems can be successfully treating if detected early. The tests are also used to measure how a lung disease is progressing, and how serious the lung disease has become. Pulmonary function tests also can be used to assess how a patient is responding to different medicines and treatments.
Sleep Studies
What Are Sleep Studies?
Sleep studies are tests that measure how well you sleep and how your body responds to sleep problems. These tests can help your doctor find out whether you have a sleep disorder and how severe it is. Sleep studies can be scheduled as an in-lab hospital overnight test or done at home. Your provider will decide which is best suited for your needs.
Sleep studies are important because untreated sleep disorders can raise your risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke and other medical conditions. Sleep disorders also have been linked to an increased risk of injury, such as falling (in the elderly) and car accidents.
People usually aren’t aware of their breathing and movements while sleeping. They may never think to talk to their doctors about issues that might be related to sleep problems.
EEG (Electroencephalogram)
An electroencephalogram (EEG) is a test that measures and records the electrical activity of your brain. Special sensors called electrodes are attached to your head and hooked by wires to a computer. The computer records your brain’s electrical activity on a computer screen as wavy lines. Certain conditions, such as seizures, can be seen by the changes in the normal pattern of the brain’s electrical activity.
Why it is done
An electroencephalogram (EEG) may be done to:
Diagnose epilepsy and see what type of seizure is occurring. EEG is the most useful and important test in confirming a diagnosis of epilepsy.
Check for problems with loss of consciousness or dementia. Help find out a person’s chance of recovery after a change in consciousness.
Find out if a person who is in a coma is brain-dead. Studies sleep disorders, such as narcolepsy.
Smoking Cessation Counseling
All patients that currently smoke or have quit less than one year ago and are being seen by the Cardiopulmonary department is offered smoking cessation information to aid and encourage them to stop smoking. Smoking is still the #1 cause of preventable disease and death in the United States.