How is a Heart Attack Diagnosed?

Diagnosis (and treatment) of a heart attack can begin when emergency medical personnel arrive after you call 9-1-1. Don't put off calling 9-1-1 because you are not sure that you are having a heart attack.

At the hospital emergency room, doctors will work fast to find out if you are having or have had a heart attack. They will consider your symptoms, medical and family history, and test results. Initial tests will be quickly followed by treatment if you are having a Heart Attack.

Tests used include:

• Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) (also called cardiac echo). This test is used to measure the rate and regularity of your heartbeat. A 12-lead EKG is used in diagnosing a heart attack. Echocardiogram is an ultrasound examination of the heart that produces detailed images of the organ. It uses a microphone-like device (transducer) to transmit and receive sound waves that travel through the chest wall to the heart, and then are reflected back. The reflected sound waves are translated into images of the heart, including the aortic valve, chambers, and walls. Echocardiogram is used to detect abnormalities in the structure of the heart, to assess thickening of the walls, to measure the pressure change (gradient) between the left ventricle and the aorta, to measure the amount of dilation (increased diameter) of the left ventricle, and to measure the ejection fraction (the percentage of blood ejected from the left ventricle with each heart beat). Echocardiogram may be used in the diagnosis of aortic stenosis, atrial fibrillation, congestive heart failure, Endocarditis, Heart Attack, and pericarditis.
  
• Blood tests. When cells in the heart die, they release enzymes into the blood. They are called markers or biomarkers. Measuring the amount of these markers in the blood can show how much damage was done to your heart. These tests are often repeated at intervals to check for changes. The specific blood tests are:
  o Troponin test. This test checks the troponin levels in the blood. It is considered the most accurate blood test to see if a heart attack has occurred and how much damage was done to the heart.
  o CK or CK-MB. These tests check for the amount of the different forms of creatine kinase in the blood.
  o . This test checks for the presence of myoglobin in the blood. is released when the heart or other muscle is injured.