Cardiac Diagnostics

Cutting-edge diagnostic technology helps heart patients get the treatment they need and at Intermountain Medical Center, the technology comes to the patient.

Live 3D transesophageal echocardiogram. If you ever suffer from heart disease or need open-heart surgery, having one could save your life. The best and only hospital that has the sophisticated equipment needed for 3D transesophageal echocardiograms (3D TEE) is the J.L. Sorenson Heart & Lung Center at the new Intermountain Medical Center. Typically done under sedation, a 3DTEE allows doctors to view the beating heart as if they were holding it in their hands.

The applications for the technology are myriad. For example, the cardiac care team uses the 3D TEE right in the operating room to look for any mass or abnormalities in the structure of the heart. The surgeon can see exactly what's going on the moment before the chest is opened. This allows the team to be prepared for what they need to do as well as a shortened surgery time. Ultimately, this creates a better outcome for patients.

3D echo can be used to adjust the timing of pacemakers right at the bedside, and it's also a powerful tool for measuring heart function, which can help doctors determine appropriate treatments.

Heart technology is brought to the patient

3D echo is just one of many state-of-the-art diagnostic tools available to doctors and other caregivers at the heart and lung center. In a complete turnaround from the traditional way medicine has been delivered, Intermountain Healthcare professionals are bringing all those sophisticated tests and procedures to the patients - not the other way around.

How it works

When patients come to the heart failure prevention and treatment clinic at the Sorenson Heart & Lung Center, they check in either with a live person, or, if they prefer, at an electronic kiosk, similar to check-in monitors at airports. Patients are given a pager that buzzes when it's time to register and go to their room.

On the way back to the room, the patient steps on a scale. A staff member takes vital statistics, and if blood will be needed for labs, a phlebotomist takes it right then. Most lab tests are run immediately right in the unit; results are available in an amazing five to 10 minutes.

Patients are given a room, and by the time they're ready to see the doctor, the doctor has their lab results in-hand. If further tests are needed such as an EKG, echocardiogram, or fitting for a Holter monitor, the tests are brought right to the patient's exam room.

Greater convenience and better outcomes

The goal of the heart and lung center is to handle everything at one time. Which is more convenient for patients and key to better care.

This one-stop medical room service is especially important because many heart patients come from all over the West and the United States seeking the state-of-the-art heart expertise Intermountain is famous for providing. Being able to do everything in one appointment is more than just convenient, it could save your life.

Custom technology keeps track of patients and helps align the delivery of heart services

A piece of custom-designed technology, unique to Intermountain, will keep track of patients in The Heart and Lung Specialty Clinic's 25 exam rooms. DIG, short for Dynamic Integrated Grease board, is a computerized scheduling and patient-tracking system that replaces the large white boards that list patient names, status, and room numbers.

Shortly after a patient first schedules an appointment at the heart clinic, DIG is programmed to know the tests and procedures that patient is likely to need, and schedules the appropriate time with the different specialists and technicians. DIG then tracks individual patients throughout their visits and pages the appropriate personnel to each patient room at the appropriate times. If requested, DIG can even page family members to the patient room.

Diagnostic tests available at Intermountain Medical Center

Some of the tests available at the J.L. Sorenson Heart and Lung Center to diagnose and assess cardiology and pulmonary patients include:

• EKG: This test records the electrical activity of the heart and displays it on a screen. The procedure involves placing electrodes on the chest, arms, and legs.
• Event monitor: Event monitors are small, portable monitors (about the size of a pager) that patients can wear at home for two to four weeks to record symptoms that don't happen on a predictable basis. Patients can call and transmit these recordings over the phone to the EKG department, where they're recorded into a computer and analyzed by technicians and physicians.
• 3D echocardiogram (3D echo): An echocardiogram uses sound waves to create an image of the structure and movement of the heart. This shows healthcare providers how efficiently the heart is pumping. The test also looks at how well the heart valves are functioning and how enlarged the heart is.
• Stress tests: These tests show how the heart responds to stress. They involve stressing the heart either through physical exertion (walking on a treadmill or riding a stationary bike) or with chemicals. During this period of stress, the healthcare provider checks vital signs and monitors the patient's EKG to assess the heart's response. Sometimes nuclear imaging or an echo with a stress test provide even more information.
• Myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI): This nuclear imaging study is a painless, noninvasive, time-tested stress test for determining blood flow. With improved diagnostic accuracy over regular stress tests, abnormal perfusion scans are highly indicative of coronary artery disease.
• CT attenuation correction: A new state-of-the-art technology added to MPI cameras, CT attenuation correction improves image quality and diagnostic accuracy. The results have a substantial impact on improving the effectiveness of cardiac care.
• Cardiac magnetic resonance: Magnetic resonance imaging (referred to as MRI or NMR) is a way to examine the heart. The human body is made up of many atoms, and when placed in a magnet, these atoms produce very weak signals. By using electronics and a computer, these signals can be magnified, recorded, and used to make pictures of the body. MRI pictures can give very clear images of the size of the heart chambers and blood flow to and from the heart. With special methods, the test can show the heart's pumping action and obtain information about blood flow.
• Computed tomography: Often referred to as CT or CAT scans, this diagnostic tool creates a three-dimensional image of the internal structure of the heart. A new, state-of-the-art 64-slice computed tomography unit for heart patients is located adjacent to the Sorenson Heart & Lung Center in the main inpatient tower.