Diagnosis of Heart Attack
Introduction
Proper diagnosis of heart attack carries varies invasive and non-invasive procedures.
How a heart attack is diagnosed?
Consulting a doctor
Many people are embraced to meet the doctor to consult with some suspicious
symptoms of heart attack.
But this is very important to take detailed history of patients in various
aspects before going to laboratory investigations.
History Taking By a Doctor
The proper history revealed by the patient will save the precious time to
save the life.
There is general proverb "No one should tell lies to the Lawyer
and Doctor". The irrelevant and false history will put the victim in
trouble.
The patient may have mild
heart attack symptoms like angina, breathlessness and left arm pain.
In severe cases patient may have massive
heart attack symptoms like severe chest pain.
In atypical cases patient may have silent
heart attack symptoms.
Treatment History
In the case of patients with previous history of Heart Attack the treatment
history should be given to the doctor.
This is very important one to select the proper drug with higher effeciency and avoid the drugs which causes trouble to the patient.
It is always advisable to keep the copy of prescription of drugs
given by the doctor previously.
The patient should be admitted in Intensive Medical
Care Units without delay.
Heart attacks are most often diagnosed by health care providers in an emergency room.
Lab Test for Heart Attack
Some of the tests that can de done to tell if you have had or are having a heart attack include:
Electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG)
This is the first and very important investigation for the diagnosis of heart
attack.
The electrocardiogram
test reveals the heart function and blockage of particular blood vessel.
When patients only having symptoms during exertion heart
stress
test or Tread Mill Test and
nuclear
stress test are recommended.
checks the heart's rhythm and can locate the part of the heart where a heart attack might be occurring (or has
occurred)
Echocardiogram
In the case of severe heart attack patient may undergo heart failure.
The echocardiogram
test shows the pumping power of heart and the enlargement of heart due to heart attack.
Blood test for Heart Attack
checks for substances in the blood called biomarkers, which may increase in amount in the blood if heart cells are injured.
Serum Lipid Profile
This test is the prime one in the diagnosis of heart attack.
This test is done after 12 hours fasting.
This blood test gives the measurement of various fat component in our body.
Normal Value
Cholesterol
: 130 to 200 mgs/dl
Triglycerides
: 60 to 160 mgs/dl
HDL(Good Cholesterol)
: 30 to 60 mgs/dl
LDL(Bad Cholesterol)
: 50 to 120 mgs/dl
VLDL Cholesterol
: 12 to 35 mgs/dl
.
Blood Test in Diabetic Cases with Heart Attack
In patients with diabetes
and heart attack the level of blood sugar is estimated.
After 12 hours of fasting blood sugar is estimated and 2 hours after meal
blood sugar(Post Prandial) again estimated.
Normal Value
Fasting Blood Sugar
: 70 to 110 mgs/dl
Post prandial Blood sugar
:120 to 150 mgs/dl
The another important test is estimation of Serum
Glycosylated Hemoglobin(HB A1c) is a very important marker to
estimate the level of severity of diabetes.
This test is being done for once two months for a known diabetic
patients.
Blood Cardiac Markers
The increased level of cardiac enzymes in the blood helps the diagnosis of
heart attack.
The following enzymes are estimated for the diagnosis of heart attack.
- Creatine Kinase(CK)
- Aspartate Amino Transferace(AST)
- Lactate Dehydrogenase(LDH)
Cardiac catheterization
looks for problems with the blood vessels, heart chambers, heart valves, and heart birth defects.
Nuclear imaging
looks for damaged areas of the heart and problems with the heart's pumping action.
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