Diagnostic Capabilities
St. Mary's offers a wide range of advanced technology to provide physicians with
the tools they need to make fast and accurate diagnoses.
Nuclear Medicine - Usually coordinated with stress testing, this heavily
utilized cardiac tool provides imaging of the functioning heart. Generally one of
the first diagnostic tools used for patients with chest pain, or episodes of dizziness
or shortness of breath, it may provide an indication of the need for interventional
work.
Stress Testing - Often utilized in tandem with other tests, this physical
exertion of the heart provides physicians with more of the information they need
for diagnosing cardiac issues. For those patients unable to physically increase
their energy output for testing purposes, pharmacological agents can be used to
produce the same effect.
Echocardiography - This noninvasive tool uses ultrasound technology to view
the heart and the blood flow through its chambers. Additional testing capabilities
are available in combination with other technologies.
Additional tools - Patients who experience occasional period of irregular
heartbeats can be fitted with a portable monitor that can be worn home in an attempt
to capture an episode on an EKG graph.