Diagnosis
Heart and vascular disease can take many forms and present through a variety of symptoms, often very subtle.
Successful treatment of disease begins with a thorough understanding of the patient's history and risk factors. Meridian's patients have access to the most sophisticated inpatient and outpatient imaging services and labs.
With over 1,500 physicians on the medical staffs at Meridian hospitals, including almost 200 specialties in the Meridian CardioVascular Network, there is a practice close to you.
Physicians also utilize advanced technology and testing at the hospital to diagnose your condition, including:
- Catheterization labs
- Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography
- Cardiac Calcium Scoring
- Echocardiogram
- Stress (Exercise, Nuclear and Ultrasound)
- Vascular Suites
- Electrophysiology Lab
For the diagnosis and treatment of heart attack, each hospital has developed nationally accredited Chest Pain Centers inside their Emergency Rooms. When a heart attack occurs, it is critical to recognize the symptoms and respond immediately. Fast treatment by the right specialists can mean the difference between life and death, and can define the quality of life to which you'll return.
The catheterization lab is a focal point in the diagnostic and treatment process. Advanced imaging helps the specialist see inside the coronary arteries to evaluate or confirm the presence of heart disease, and intricate monitoring equipment measures blood flow. Physicians in the Meridian CardioVascular Network perform more than 10,000 procedures a year in these state-of-the-art labs.
While many people think of heart attack, or the heart more generally, there are other conditions that must be diagnosed carefully. Blockages in the arteries can affect other areas of the body; certain types of leg pain can be important warning signs of potentially serious problems.
Peripheral artery disease restricts blood circulation in the arteries and may cause pain and non healing wounds in the legs and feet. Experts in the network are leading the way in diagnosing vascular disease. Diagnosis is made by medical history, physical examination, and imaging tests such as magnetic resonance ateriography, Doppler ultrasound and CT scans. Non-invasive and minimally invasive testing in the vascular laboratory are key steps for diagnosing circulatory conditions evolving in veins and arteries. Both common and serious forms of disease include:
- Peripheral Artery Disease
- Deep Vein Thrombosis
- Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
- Carotid Artery Stenosis
When blood vessels are weakened or narrowed in the neck, they can cause a stroke. Nationally accredited Stroke Centers have been developed at our hospitals. Ocean and Riverview have also achieved state designations as Primary Stroke Centers, and Jersey Shore as a Comprehensive Stroke Center. This means Meridian hospitals meet the highest national standards for safety and quality. This is quite impressive considering less than 5% of hospitals in the nation meet these rigorous requirements. When stroke symptoms occur, every minute matters. Effective treatment delivered within the first three hours is critical to limiting the damaging effects of stroke. Treatment may involve multi-disciplinary teams of specialists, who are adept at working together in a variety of settings from the endovascular lab, to the operating room, to the catheterization lab to interventional radiology. Patients experiencing these warning symptoms should seek immediate medical attention:
- Weakness on one side of the body
- Difficulty speaking
- Blurred vision
- Dizziness
- Trouble walking
Sometimes heart and vascular diseases are less impacted by blockages, and diagnosis must be targeted on the electrical system that allows heart muscle contractions that pump blood through the body. A problem anywhere along the electrical pathway may cause an irregular heartbeat (or arrhythmia) which impacts millions of people a year. Sudden death from cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death in this country. It occurs when the heart stops functioning. While many forms of heart disease can cause sudden death, it occurs most often when electrical impulses become too rapid or chaotic. Specially trained electrophysiologists diagnose the precise cause of an arrhythmia by collecting data about the flow of electricity and locating the specific areas causing the arrhythmias.
