Cardiopulmonary
The Cardiopulmonary Department is a multifaceted department with a focus on the care of patients with diseases of the heart, lungs, and circulatory system. We provide initial and ongoing clinical assessment, and provide your physician with detailed studies of the heart and lungs to help design a treatment plan that's best for you. Our cardiac services include electrocardiograms, in-home Holter and cardiac rhythm monitoring, stress tests, and echocardiograms.
We also work closely with our in-house physician practice, Parkview Pulmonology, to design personalized pulmonary rehabilitation plans for patients with acute and chronic lung disease. Our therapeutic and supportive pulmonary services include complete function testing, aerosolized medication administration, arterial blood gas co-oximetry analysis, pulse oximetry, oxygen, airway clearance, mechanical ventilation, chest physiotherapy, incentive spirometry, intermittent positive pressure breathing, and aerosol and humidity therapy.
For more information see our detailed service descriptions below or call 373-2261.
Cardiac Services
Electrocardiograms (EKG )
A detailed recording of the electrical activity of the heart. The test records 12 different angles of the heart to detect heart disease including abnormal rhythms.
In-Home 24-Hour Cardiac Holter Monitoring
Patients wear a 24-hour holter monitor, which is used for detecting abnormal heart rhythms.
In-Home Cardiac Event Monitoring
Similar to the Holter monitor, patients wear a smaller monitor for an extended period of time to detect abnormal hearts rhythms.
Exercise or Chemical Stress Testing
Patients will be asked to walk on a treadmill or be given a medication to increase their heart rate to unmask the presence of any underlying cardiac disease.
Transthoracic Echocardiograms (TTE)
An echocardiogram, or "echo", is a test that utilizes high frequency sound waves to obtain images of your heart and its structures. By placing a wand on the chest over the heart, this test is used to determine how well your pumps and can also look at the heart valves to see how well they function.
Transesophogeal Echocardiograms (TEE)
A transesophogeal echocardiogram, or TEE, is a test that utilizes high frequency sound waves to obtain images of your heart and its structures from an endoscope that is placed down the esophagus while you are sedated. The cardiologist, a trained RN, and the echo-technician are all present during the procedure to ensure patient safety. This test is performed for the same reasons as the TTE, but provides more detailed views of the heart valves when needed.
Stress Echocardiograms
This is a transthoracic Echocardiogram done with a cardiac stress test to actually image the heart during stress. This test is done in the presence of a physician.
Pulmonary Therapeutic and Supportive Services
Complete Pulmonary Function testing
Includes:
Spirometry with or without bronchodilators
Lung volumes
Diffusion capacity
Methacholine inhalation challenges
The PFT is a detailed test that measures the mechanics of breathing, and assists in the diagnosis of such pulmonary disorders such as asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and many other conditions.
Aerosolized Medication Administration
Inhaled medications used in the prevention and treatment of reversible airflow obstruction such as asthma. Provision of humidity or aerosolized moisture to those patients needing additional humidification to their airways. This is commonly used to induce sputum production for the culture analysis to diagnose infection.
Arterial Blood Gas Analysis
Analysis of arterial and/or mixed venous blood provides information concerning the pH or acidity of the blood, carbon dioxide or oxygenation status of a patient.
Co-oximetry Analysis
Measures the arterial hemoglobin concentration and concentrations of various hemoglobin derivatives, such as carbon monoxide.
Pulse Oximetry
This is a simple non-invasive method of monitoring the oxygen saturation of the blood.
Oxygen Administration
This is a treatment that provides extra oxygen, which is a drug, to the tissues of the body through the lungs. Oxygen is provided by nasal cannula or by a facemask.
Airway Clearance Techniques
Such techniques are administered by devices and treatments used to assist patients who are unable to clear pulmonary secretions effectively. Chest Physiotherapy is
respiratory treatment to aid in the removal of secretions from the lungs.
Mechanical Ventilation:
Mechanical ventilation is machine assistance of patients who are in respiratory failure and unable to breath on their own.
Incentive Spirometry
This is done by se of a small piston chamber that the patinet inhales against to encourage deep breathing and coughing to decrease the incidence of pneumonia after surgery.
IPPB
Intermittent positive pressure breathing is a respiratory treatment utilized in certain disease states to expand the lungs, with or without an associated medication.