Preparation		Purpose
Abdominal Ultrasound		No preparation is needed. Ultrasonic gel is placed on your abdomen to aid in viewing your aorta.		The test can determine the presence of an aneurysm by obtaining measurements of the abdominal aorta.
Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitor		No Preparation		Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) takes numerous readings of your blood pressure over a 24-hour period or longer. It provides accurate and reliable information and can give you and your doctor a truer picture of your blood pressure than occasional visits and readings taken at your doctor's office.
Cardiac Catheterization		Maintain your medication schedule. Have a light meal prior to the study. Review any allergies with the nurse/technician particularly iodides.		Cardiac catheterization is performed by the injection of contrast media into the coronary arteries as well as recording pressures. The outpatient method was developed at the Virginia Heart Institute in 1972.
Cardiac Rehab		You will be using a stationary bicycle, light weights and possibly a rowing machine. Patient education classes are part of the program.		The purpose of Cardiac Rehabilitation at the Virginia Heart Institute is to determine the effectiveness of drug therapy prescribed to correct ischemia, arrhythmias and congestive heart failure through serial bicycle exercise testing. This modified cardiac rehabilitation program also includes education and fitness but was developed as a program to avoid unnecessary surgery and angioplasty through pharmacologic and holistic methods.
Carotid Ultrasound		No preparation is needed. Ultrasonic gel will be applied to both sides of your neck to aid in imaging your carotid arteries.		Carotid imaging provides information concerning flow velocities and extent of plaque in your carotid arteries.
Echocardiogram		No preparation is needed. You will lie on your left side and a technician will apply an ultrasonic gel on your chest to aid in the viewing of your heart.		The echocardiogram provides information concerning function, valvular disease and prognosis.
Event Monitor		No Preparation		The event monitor is a small wristwatch device with the capability of recording an ECG signal. The monitor provides an accurate means to detect abnormal cardiac rhythms in the ambulatory setting.
Exercise Nuclear Test		Unless you have diabetes, fast for 8 hours. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes. You will be walking on the treadmill for part of the exam.		Nuclear imaging detects blocked arteries and heart function without doing catheterization. Those with a normal study have a 1% risk per year of suffering a heart attack.
Fluoroscopy		You will lie down on a cardiac catheterization table and view a silhouette of your heart on a TV monitor. Since the test is an X-ray, tell the physician if there is any chance of pregnancy.		Calcification of the coronary arteries is an early sign of heart disease.
Graded Exercise Test (stress test)		Wear comfortable, loose fitting clothing and tennis shoes. Maintain your medication schedule. Tell the physician, nurse or technician if you are having any type of chest discomfort.		The exercise test is performed to detect ischemic heart disease, arrhythmias and monitor drug effectiveness.
Holter Monitor		Maintain normal activities while wearing the monitor. Do not take showers or baths. Please maintain the diary at the time of chest discomfort or arrhythmia (palpitations).		Patients at risk for cardiac arrest may demonstrate arrhythmias or silent ischemic ECG changes.
Nuclear Renal Scan		Drink 16oz of water prior to test.		A nuclear renal scan is performed to study the function and blood flow to the kidneys as well as to exclude narrowed or blocked renal arteries.
Signal Averaged ECG		No Preparation		A signal averaged ECG is very similar to a regular ECG, except that the recording of the heart's electrical activity is done for a longer period of time. The signal averaged ECG examines late potentials, present at the terminal portion of the QRS complex. The test is predictive in identifying patients at risk for serious arrhythmias.