Cardiology consultation

Electrocardiography (ECG)

Electrocardiography (ECG) is a basic test that is . It may be normal in several patients at rest between attacks of Angina. However, during the episodes of pain there may be depression of the ST segment and a T wave inversion in several leads, indicating Ischaemia. In cases of Infarction (heart attack), there will be ST segment elevation in the ECG, which may gradually evolve. An Echocardiogram may help in showing any functional abnormalities in the various cardiac chambers and in assessing the pumping efficiency of the heart.

Bhaskar Heart Care Centre is equipped with Recorders & Medicare Systems Pvt. Ltd. (RMS) ECG acquisition system. This is a PC based ECG system designed on the Windows platform. It is one of the advanced equipment in the family of ECG that acquires on 12 lead simultaneously and also has a software interface that incorporate special features for Analysis & Review.

Echocardiography:

An echocardiogram is a test in which ultrasound is used to examine the heart. The echocardiogram offers far more sophisticated and advanced imaging. This is known as two- dimensional (2-D) Echo and is capable of displaying a cross-sectional "slice" of the beating heart, including the chambers, valves and the major blood vessels that exit from the left and right ventricle Echocardiography can also identify if the heart is pumping poorly due to a condition known as cardiomyopathy (pronounced cardio-myo-puth-e), or if one or more isolated areas have depressed movement (due to prior heart attacks). Thus, echocardiography can assess the pumping ability of each chamber of the heart and also the movement of each visualized wall.

Echocardiography is extremely safe. There are no known risks from the clinical use of ultrasound during this type of testing. A brief examination in an uncomplicated case may be done within 15 to 20 minutes. The additional use of Doppler may add an additional 10 to 20 minutes. However, it may take up to an hour when there are multiple problems or when there are technical problems.

Tread Mill Test

Exercise, being a physiological stress, can unmask abnormalities of the heart, not present at rest. Treadmill test assesses the heart function in patients with suspected or proven disease by means of ECG & BP monitoring during walking at progressive speeds & gradients. In other words, TMT is exercise ECG and observation of patient during a graded stress. This is the easiest, popular and common test performed on heart patients to determine the severity of the heart disease. Taken at an interval, this test can also show the improvement or deterioration of patient's angina. In other words, this test is helpful for quantifying disability, diagnosis & prognosis of disease.

A positive TMT has to be interpreted along with the total clinical picture and other risk factors (like diabetes, high lipids, family history, obesity, smoking etc). If the result is not clear other non invasive tests like Stress echocardiography or stress thallium give more physiological information

A negative TMT or Stress Test is declared when the patient can reach a certain heart rate without showing any ECG changes. This rate is called a target heart rate and is calculated by a formula (Target Heart Rate = 220 – age of patient). If this rate is reached by the patient without producing any ECG changes, though the TMT can be called negative, but it would not mean that the blockage is zero. It will only mean that the person performing the test probably has a blockage less than 70%.

BHC is equipped with computerized TMT from Recorders & Medicare Systems with facilities for storing of data on hard disc or CD & reviewing option along with non fading high resolution print outs.

X-RAY

Pathology Laboratory

Integral to cardiac diagnosis, pathology laboratory is necessary for detection of risk factors for Coronary Heart Disease including Diabetes Mellitus & raised blood cholesterol & other lipids. Blood tests called cardiac enzymes are extremely useful to diagnosis of early stages of heart attack. BHC is equipped with sophisticated semiautoanalyser ERBA CHEM 5 PLUS from Transasia Medicals Pvt Ltd. USA for biochemical tests, Automated Hematology Analyser - pocH-100i from Sysmex Corporation Kobe, Japan and Coag Uno Coagulometer, Japan for coagulation tests. Pathology department is headed by experienced consultant pathologist Dr.Damodar backed by qualified and well trained Biochemist and Laboratory technicians.

ERBA CHEM. 5 PLUS is a high performance microprocessor based biochemistry analyzer for Substrate, Ezyme and Drug Assays. The user is able to programme parameters pertaining to readings in Absorbance, Concentration (linear & non-linear), Fixed Time, Kinetic and Coagulation modes.

The instrument is provided with a soft-touch keyboard which facilitates quick changes from one function to another and setting of parameters which can be monitored on a display without going through complex sequential operations.

The display is Liquid Crystal type with both alphanumeric as well as graphic capabilities.

The auto analyzer ERBACHEM 5 PLUS is able to carry out photometric readings for any chromatic measurement. The salient features of the instrument are its:

• Precision
• Reading speed
• Low sample volume
• Reading in biochromatic mode
• Graphic presentation of the kinetic analysis
• Programming of 128 analysis by 6 different modes. For each analysis a monitor page is used where all the parameters are displayed. Parameters can be changed and permanenly stored until the next change

The instrument is capable of performing analysis in 6 different modes. They are:

• Absorbance mode:
• Concentration (Linear) mode
• Concentration ( Non-Linear) Mode
• Kinetic mode
• Fixed time mode
• Coagulation mode.

The Sysmex pocH-100i is an automated hematology analyzer for in vitro diagnostic use in clinical laboratories and physician office laboratories. The poch shall only be used for in vitro analysis of human blood or artifical control blood. The instrument adopts the Hydrodynamic focusing DC detection method that eliminates potential errors in cell-counting such as coincidence and recirculation. This feature provides accurate RBC and PLT, as well as Hematorit even in high or low counts.

Coagulometer:

Psychology Consultation & Counselling

 

Psychological Assessment