If you experience symptoms of myocardial infarction (MI), then you will need to seek emergency medical care as soon as possible. Also known as a heart attack, an MI can cause chest pain, shortness of breath, jaw pain, and left arm pain. You may also experience profuse sweating, nausea, weakness, and dizziness. To rule out or confirm a myocardial infarction, your ER laboratory testing may include the following.
Echocardiogram Imaging
The emergency room physician may include an echocardiogram if you present with cardiac symptoms. While you may first receive an electrocardiogram (EKG) in the emergency room, the physician may want to evaluate your cardiac function further with echocardiogram imaging. This test is essentially an ultrasound of the heart and its structures, including the heart valves. The echocardiogram is a safe and painless imaging test.
Unlike a regular x-ray, an echocardiogram does not use radiation in order to capture images of the cardiovascular system. Instead, the echocardiogram relies on safe sound waves to produce the images. No preparation is needed prior to this imaging test, however, if you take medications such as beta-blockers or other anti-arrhythmic medications, the results of the echocardiogram may be slightly skewed.
Cardiac Enzyme Blood Test
Another ER laboratory testing intervention may include a cardiac enzyme blood test. After suffering a heart attack, markers known as cardiac enzymes increase. If the cardiac enzymes in your blood known as creatinine phosphokinase and troponin are elevated, it may indicate cardiac ischemia or myocardial infarction. The elevation in cardiac enzymes is caused by insufficient oxygen or other cardiovascular stress.
In addition to the cardiac enzyme evaluation, your ER laboratory testing may include a complete blood count, chemistry profile, and arterial blood gas testing to evaluate your carbon dioxide and oxygen levels. If your oxygen levels are low, the emergency room staff may place a clip on your finger known as a pulse oximeter to monitor your oxygen saturation rate. During your ER laboratory testing, you will also receive comfort measures such as oxygen therapy to help you breathe better if you are short of breath or anxious.
If you experience any of the above symptoms of myocardial infarction, get to the nearest hospital emergency department as soon as possible. When a myocardial infarction is diagnosed and treated early on, you will be more likely to enjoy a more favorable prognosis and less likely to develop extensive damage to your cardiovascular system,
Share24 January 2023
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