Cardiac testing procedures are used to determine how the heart is functioning and diagnose any heart conditions. According to the American Heart Association, or AHA, there are both non-invasive and invasive testing procedures. The AHA states that non-invasive tests assess heart function without inserting needles, instruments or fluids into the body. Invasive procedures range anywhere from a simple needle prick to open heart surgery.
Electrocardiogram
According to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, an electrocardiogram, or ECG, is a simple, non-invasive tests that captures and records the heart's electrical activity. During each heartbeat, an electrical signal travels throughout the heart, starting at the top and moving toward the bottom. The electrical signal is the stimulus for the cardiac cells to contract and the heart to pump blood. This process continues with each heartbeat, and the electrical signals dictate the heart's rhythms. An ECG recording reveals the following: how quickly the heart is beating, whether there are any irregularities in the heart's rhythm and the strength and timing of the electrical signals as they travel through the heart. ECGs are also used to assess many heart conditions, including heart attack, arrhythmia and congestive heart failure, along with suggesting other conditions that may be impairing heart function.
Echocardiogram
An echocardiogram is another common, non-invasive cardiac testing procedure. MayoClinic.com states that an echocardiogram produces an image of the heart by using sound waves, and that it's primary purpose is to allow a physician to monitor how the heart is beating and pumping blood. The images captured from the echocardiogram can be used by the physician to diagnose heart muscle and valve defects or abnormalities. The type of echocardiogram a person receives largely depends on the information the physician requires. Different types of echocardiograms include transthoracic, transesophageal, Doppler and stress. Each of these echocardiograms involves few risks and yields important information. Echocardiograms are commonly recommended by physicians when heart valve or heart pumping problems are suspected. Echocardiograms may also be used to screen for congenital heart defects in unborn babies.
Exercise Stress Test
According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, exercise stress tests are used to screen people for coronary artery disease. To help determine if an exercise stress test is the appropriate procedure for a patient, the physician will evaluate the patient's symptoms, current medications, past health history, typical level of physical activity or exertion and ability to exercise. Signs of serious illness or disease will also be assessed. The patient is evaluated while riding a stationary bicycle or walking or running on a treadmill, and exercise-induced symptoms, arrhythmias, electrocardiographic changes and vital signs are recorded. Exercise stress tests can involve maximal effort--which requires exercising to exhaustion--or submaximal effort, which may be more appropriate for some sedentary individuals. Depending on the test results, additional testing may be indicated to obtain more detailed information about the patient's risk of coronary artery disease.
