| What cardiac diagnostic tests are available for me? |
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There are a wide range of diagnostic tests and procedures that are available to determine if you have heart disease, the type of disease if present, severity and the most appropriate treatment method to be used.
An important aspect of diagnosing and treating heart disease is through history taking and physical examination. These help the doctor determine the type of diagnostic tests or procedures necessary to fully diagnose the heart disease present.
All the tests listed here are available at National Heart Centre Singapore (NHC) except Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging, which NHC provides jointly with the Department of Radiology of Singapore General Hospital. |
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What is it? |
A diagnostic procedure combining an echocardiogram, which uses high frequency sound wave to assess contraction of heart, and an exercise stress test, which assesses the capacity and reserve of heart to function under stressful situations.
Two major forms of stress tests can be used. The first type of stress test is the standard treadmill exercise (called the Exercise Stress Echocardiogram), while the second type involves the use of medication to stress the heart, simulating an exercise environment (called pharmacological stress echocardiogram).
Your doctor will decide which type of stress test is more appropriate for you. |
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Why do you
need to do it? |
Information obtained will help the doctor to indirectly assess the status of blood supply to the heart muscles. It also provides indirect information on the viability and functionality of the heart muscles, as well as the functionality and competency of heart valves. This information is helpful to the physician in planning further treatment. |
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Transoesophageal Echocardiogram (TEE) |
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What is it? |
Similar to the echocardiogram; but unlike the standard echocardiogram, a transducer is mounted onto the tip of a long and slim endoscope called TEE probe. This TEE probe will be introduced into your oesophagus through the mouth. |
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Why do you
need to do it? |
The images or pictures obtained may provide useful information for the physician to help in the management of the heart problem. |
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What is it? |
A test where the electrical signals of the heart are recorded by the patient either by a special handheld recorder or watch and then transmitted via telephone to a receiving centre at the National Heart Centre. |
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Why do you
need to do it? |
Ideal in detecting transient abnormal rhythms of the heart which occurs intermittently. It is also useful for prolonged monitoring of patients who have recurrent faints. |
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What is it? |
A test where a patient is tilted upright and monitored continuously to see if this will reproduce the patient’s symptoms of recurrent fainting. |
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Why do you
need to do it? |
Used to detect recurrent syncope (faints) of unknown origin. It will confirm whether the patient has vasovagal syncope, i.e., fainting due to abnormally sensitive reflexes in the cardiovascular system. |
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Duplex Ultrasound (Vascular Investigation) |
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What is it? |
This investigation consists of one or a combination of laboratory tests which includes imaging of the blood vessels outside the heart with a duplex scan or measuring the blood flow and pressure in the vascular system using specialised machines. |
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Why do you
need to do it? |
This ultrasound scan uses high frequency sound waves to image the blood vessels outside the heart so as to assess their patency and to document any abnormalities. |
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Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring |
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What is it? |
A test where your blood pressure and the heart rate are recorded at fixed time interval over 24 hours. This is done while you go on with your daily activities. This allows you to look at your variation in blood pressure. |
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Why do you
need to do it? |
For patients with high blood pressure, and is helpful for the doctor to see if the drugs prescribed is effective in controlling blood pressure. It is also used to monitor borderline hypertension, young hypertensives and those with poor blood pressure control. |
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Cardiac Catheterisation / Coronary Angiography |
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What is it? |
Cardiac catheterisation is where a catheter is passed into the chambers of the heart to find out detailed information about your heart and oronary arteries.
Usually performed after tests have found positive for heart disease. |
Coronary angiography is performed in the same way as a cardiac catheterisation and allows the cardiologist to delineatethe coronary arteries. |
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Why do you
need to do it? |
This procedure helps your doctor to precisely identify the heart problem. |
Any narrowings in the arteries will be revealed by the contrast medium. |
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Electrophysiological Study (EPS) |
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What is it? |
Uses cardiac catheterisation techniques to investigate patients who have irregular heartbeats (called arrhythmias). EPS shows how the heart reacts to controlled electrical signals. |
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Why do you
need to do it? |
The signals transmitted can help doctors find out where in the heart the arrhythmia starts and what medicines will work. EPS also helps doctors determine other catheter techniques that can be used to stop the arrhythmia. |
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CT Coronary Angiography (also known as Multi-Slice Coronary Tomography |
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What is it? |
A non-invasive procedure that provides visualisation of the heart’s arteries. It does not require any catheter or equipment to be inserted into the body; only an intravenous line and a small amount of dye are required, so there is minimal risk. This procedure creates 3-dimensional images of the heart. |
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Why do you
need to do it? |
Used to evaluate high risk patients with one or more of the recognised risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD) such as elevated cholesterol, hypertension, family history of CAD; patients with atypical chest pain requiring further evaluation and patients with known CAD requiring further assessment of treatment. If there is narrowing found in the coronary arteries, a coronary angiography will still be required. |
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Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) |
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What is it? |
MRI can help doctors look closely at the structures and function of the heart and major vessels quickly and thoroughly, without the risks associated with traditional and more invasive procedures |
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Why do you
need to do it? |
Using MRI, physicians can examine the size and thickness of the chambers of the heart, and determine the extent of damage caused by a heart attack or other heart disease. |
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| The state-of-the art 64-slice Computer Tomography at NHC | |
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