Introduction
Cardiovascular specialists employ many different diagnostic modalities in treating cardiovascular diseases. Apart from a detailed history, comprehensive physical examination and relevant blood tests, a physician has to order a number of specialized diagnostic tests to help in the course of diagnosis and management of cardiovascular diseases. We will review the various common cardiovascular diagnostic modalities in the following.
- Electrocardiogram (EKG, ECG)
- Ambulatory EKG (Holter) Monitoring
- Chest X Ray (CXR) *
- Transthoracic Echocardiogram (TTE)
- Transesophageal Echocardiogram (TEE) *
- Exercise Stress Test (EST, GXT, ETT)
- Nuclear Stress Testing *
- Stress Echocardiogram Testing
- Cardiac Catheterization *
- Electrophysiology Study *
The descriptions of the diagnostic tests here are for general reference. The details as to how a test is performed may vary slightly from one institution to another. You should check with your own doctor or your own health care facility regarding the specifics of the tests you are going to have.
* Not performed at the Toronto Heart Centre