Cardiopulmonary
Services By Appointment:

Nuclear Cardiac Imaging both exercise and non-exercise testing Cardiac Exercise Stress Test - Monday - Friday 7:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Stress Echocardiogram Dobutamine & Exercise - Every Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning Echocardiograms - Monday & Wednesday mornings; Tuesday, Thursday, Friday afternoons Pulmonary Function Testing including complete, pre/post, disability, diffusion, lung volume - Monday - Friday
Holter/Event Monitoring - 7 days a week (24 hr. & 48 hr. studies available)
Sleep Studies Monday - Thursday nights
Pulmonary Rehab - Monday - Friday

Services provided 7 days a week with no appointment necessary:

• Arterial Blood Gasses
• Carboxyhemoglobin
• Oximetry with and without exercise
• EKG’s
• Respiratory Treatments
• To Schedule An Appointment Call: 575-443-7680

Service Descriptions Below
ABG
An arterial blood gas (ABG) is done on a patient to determine the amounts of Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide dissolved in the blood. Also to determine the Acid/Base status of the blood.

Echocardiograms
The echocardiogram is a noninvasive technique used to record the structure of the heart by using ultrahigh-frequency sound waves. A transducer placed on the chest wall emits a short burst of ultrasound waves and then measures the reflection, or echo of the sound as it bounces back from such cardiac structures as valves and the muscle wall. It is used to evaluate chamber size, wall thickness, wall motion, valve structure, and valve motion. It is the method of choice for detecting infection of the valves (endocarditis), intracardiac tumors, and pericardial fluid. Mitral valve prolapse is easily visualized by this noninvasive technique.



Electrocardiograms (EKGs / ECGs) The electrocardiogram (ECG) is a graphic recording of the electrical activity of the heart detected at the body surface and amplified. Electrodes to record the electrical activity of the heart are placed at 10 different locations, one on each of the four limbs and six at different locations on the anterior chest wall. Twelve different leads, or electrical pictures, are generated, each having its own normal configuration. The ECG is of greatest use in diagnosing cardiac arrhythmia’s, acute and prior myocardial infarctions, pericardial disease, cardiac enlargement (atrial and ventricular), and various electrolyte disturbances and drug effects. The exercise electrocardiogram, or ECG stress test, is used to assess the ability of the coronary arteries to deliver oxygen while the heart is undergoing strain imposed by a standardized exercise protocol. If the blood supply to the heart is jeopardized during exercise, the inadequate oxygenation of the heart muscle is recorded by typical changes in the electrocardiogram that indicate coronary artery disease (narrowing of the coronary arteries).


Electroencephalograms (EEGs)
An electroencephalograph is an instrument that measures and records electrical activity in the brain. The nerve cells of the brain generate electrical impulses that fluctuate rhythmically in distinct patterns. The recording produced is called an electroencephalogram, commonly abbreviated EEG. To make an EEG, electrodes are placed in pairs on the scalp. Each pair of electrodes transmits a signal to one of several recording channels of the electroencephalograph. This signal consists of the difference in the voltage between the pair. The rhythmic fluctuation of this potential difference is shown as peaks and troughs on a line graph by the recording channel. The EEG of a normal adult in a fully conscious but relaxed state is made up of regularly recurring oscillating waves known as alpha waves. When a person is excited or startled, the alpha waves are replaced by low-voltage, rapid, irregular waves. During sleep, the brain waves become extremely slow. Such is also the case when a person is in a deep coma. Other abnormal conditions are associated with particular EEG patterns. Irregular slow waves known as delta waves, for example, arise from the vicinity of a localized area of brain damage.

Electroencephalography provides a means of studying how the brain works and of tracing connections between one part of the central nervous system and another. Its effectiveness as a research tool, however, is limited because it records only a small sample of electrical activity from the surface of the brain. Many of the more complex functions of the brain, such as those that underlie emotions and thought, cannot be related closely to EEG patterns. Electroencephalography has proved more useful as a diagnostic aid in cases of serious head injuries, brain tumors, cerebral infections, epilepsy, and various degenerative diseases of the nervous system.



Holter/Event Monitoring
The purpose of this test is to determine the presence and severity of disturbance in your heart rhythm. The monitor can correlate heart rhythm disturbances with symptoms you may be having, such as dizziness, palpitations, or fainting spells. The test involves placing ECG wires attached to a box, similar to a small tape recorder, on your chest. You will wear this for 24 - 48 hours. You will be asked to keep a diary and record any symptoms you have, and what you were doing when they occurred. The test will then be analyzed, and symptoms will be correlated with any disturbances in your heart’s rhythm.


Pulmonary Function Testing
This is a simple screening test administered by a respiratory therapist to see if you have obstructive or restrictive lung disease. This test is performed by the cardiopulmonary department and Occupational Health and Wellness Center at health fairs throughout the area. This test can also be performed on site at your place of employment to help employers comply with OSHA regulations for certain employees. The test is simple and the equipment is portable. We can come wherever you are to perform this vital lung screening to detect lung disease. Pulmonary function tests include: Simple spirometry; Complete spirometry testing; Pre and post bronchodilator studies; Lung volumes; Diffusion studies. These tests can determine if lung disease is present and can help to identify which type of lung disease you might suffer from.

Pulse Oximetry
The oxygen saturation test, or pulse oximetry, measures the amount of oxygen in a patient’s blood, without the use of a needle. To do the test, a small sensor is placed on the patient’s finger, toe or ear lobe. The sensor is connected to a machine which displays the oxygen saturation and the pulse rate. The test takes only minutes to complete, if the patient is able to lie still. The test is entirely painless. Oxygen saturation tests are performed when there is a concern that a patient may have less than the normal amount of oxygen in the blood.


Respiratory Care and Treatments
The upper respiratory tract is one of two parts of the respiratory system. It includes the mouth, nose, nasal cavity, pharynx, larynx, and trachea. The upper tract serves to bring air to and from the lungs. The lower respiratory tract consists of the lungs, including the airways within the lungs (bronchi and bronchioles). If a patient suffers from any lung disorder, asthma, bronchitis, or pneumonia he or she may require respiratory treatments that can deliver medicine to the lungs to relieve shortness of breath. This can include: oxygen, nebulizer treatments, chest percussion, and incentive spirometry.

Stress Echocardiography
Experts in the field of echocardiogram testing from Guthrie and Memorial Hospital have teamed up to offer stress echocardiogram testing services at Memorial Hospital. Patients who can benefit from the diagnostic results of a stress echocardiogram can receive the test close to home at Memorial Hospital without having to travel out of town. “New and advanced diagnostic tests and tools are constantly being introduced to further understand the complexity of disease, injury, and congenital or acquired abnormalities,” said Arun Sherma, MD, director of non invasive cardiology at Guthrie. “We are pleased to have the opportunity to offer stress echocardiogram testing at Memorial Hospital. This advanced diagnostic testing is used to further understand and identify cardiovascular disease,” he said. An echocardiogram is non-invasive test that uses sound waves to produce a study of the motion of the heart’s chambers and valves. The echo sound waves create an image on the monitor as an ultrasound transducer is passed over the heart. This ultrasound test is performed just prior to and immediately following the exercise treadmill stress test. The results of both tests are used to determine the presence of heart disease and safe levels of exercise following a heart attack or heart surgery. Any individual who is experiencing cardiac disease symptoms should see their doctor immediately. The stress echocardiogram at Memorial Hospital is available to any patient with cardiac symptoms at the request of his or her physician.


Stress Testing
The purpose of a stress test is to determine whether your heart gets adequate blood flow during stress or exercise. Prior to the procedure you should avoid caffeinated beverages, and you may eat a light meal up to 2 hours before exercise. It is wise to bring comfortable tennis shoes and loose-fitting pants. When you arrive for the test, you will be asked to undress to the waist. The skin on your chest will be cleansed and ECG wires applied. You will then be asked to walk on a treadmill until you attain your maximum level of exertion or experience symptoms such as chest pain or shortness of breath. Your blood pressure and electrocardiogram will be continuously monitored.

Ventilator Therapy
A ventilator is any of several pieces of equipment used in respiratory therapy to aid or maintain breathing when a patient’s breathing muscles have been compromised by disease or general anesthesia.


For further information about the Cardiopulmonary Services at Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center, call 575-443-7680.