Cardiac diagnostics
There are 4 non-invasive cardiac tests available on site at Apex Multispecialty Clinic. None of them uses radiation. None of them requires an admission. Together they answer most of the questions a first cardiac assessment raises.
Which tests you need is decided at consultation, and depends on your symptoms, your examination and your history. Reports are read by Dr. Kumar Kenchappa, the same cardiologist who sees you.
Read this first
Every test on this page is planned in advance for someone who is stable. Chest pain that will not settle, sudden severe breathlessness, fainting or collapse need emergency assessment the same hour, not an appointment. Call 108, or go to your nearest emergency department. Do not drive yourself.
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Electrocardiogram
Ten small electrodes are placed on your chest, arms and legs to record the heart's electrical activity. It is painless and nothing is injected.
The first test in almost any cardiac assessment. It shows rhythm disturbances, evidence of a past or ongoing heart attack, and strain on the heart muscle.
None. You can eat and take your usual medication.
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2D Echo with Colour Doppler
An ultrasound scan of the heart. A probe with gel is moved across your chest; there is no radiation and no injection.
Shows the pumping strength of the heart, how the four valves are working, the thickness of the heart muscle, and pressure in the lung arteries.
None. Wear something that opens at the front if you can.
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Treadmill Stress Test
You walk on a treadmill that gradually gets faster and steeper while your ECG, blood pressure and symptoms are monitored continuously. It stops when you reach your target heart rate, or sooner if anything needs looking at.
Shows how the heart behaves under exertion rather than at rest. Narrowings that are invisible on a resting ECG often appear here.
Do not eat for 3 hours before. Wear walking shoes and loose clothing. Bring your medication list — some tablets, particularly beta blockers, may need to be paused, but only on your doctor's instruction. Never stop a heart medication on your own.
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24 – 48 Hour Ambulatory ECG
A small recorder worn on a belt or strap keeps a continuous ECG while you go about a normal day. You keep a short diary of any symptoms.
Palpitations, blackouts and irregular rhythms are often intermittent and miss a 5-minute ECG entirely. A day of recording catches what a snapshot cannot.
None. Shower before you come — the monitor cannot get wet while worn.
Before you come
Never stop or change a heart medication on your own before a test. If something needs pausing, you will be told which tablet and for how long.
Tests are arranged after a consultation, so that the right ones are done and the results are read in context.
This page describes tests in general terms. It is not advice about which test you personally need, and it does not replace an examination.