INSTRUMENTAL DIAGNOSTICS

Exercise ECG | Long-term ECG | Long-term blood pressure measurement | Pulmonary function test (spirometry) | ABI and pulse wave velocity | PDF apparative diagnostics

ECG

The ECG is used to derive and display the natural electrical activity of the heart. This electrical activity is necessary for the heart to beat at all. Various heart diseases lead to disturbances of this "electricity", e.g. cardiac arrhythmias, heart attacks or circulatory disorders of the heart muscle. In some cases, damage to the heart, for example due to increased blood pressure, can appear relatively early in the ECG. Other changes, on the other hand, only become apparent during physical exertion. In these cases, the stress ECG is another valuable diagnostic measure.

Stress ECG

During an exercise ECG, the electrical activity of the heart is recorded under controlled physical stress on a bicycle ergometer. While you are exercising on the bike, the ECG and blood pressure are monitored. In this way, not only can heart diseases be detected, but also the blood pressure behaviour during exertion and your physical performance can be assessed. This is also very important for sports medicine examinations, for example if you want to start a new sport.

Long-term ECG

Another method of ECG registration is the long-term ECG. It is used to detect cardiac arrhythmias under everyday conditions. The recording device is small and handy and can be worn with a belt, just like a small handbag. Adhesive electrodes are attached to the chest, which are connected to the recording device via a cable. You can go about your daily activities as normal during the registration with the device. The duration of the ECG recording is usually 18 to 24 hours. Alongside the other ECG procedures and echocardiography, the long-term ECG completes our diagnostics in the field of cardiology.

Long-term blood pressure measurement

High blood pressure, known as arterial hypertension, is one of the most common and most important of the so-called "widespread diseases" along with diabetes mellitus. Early diagnosis and intensive monitoring are crucial for avoiding complications caused by high blood pressure. For this purpose, the one-time blood pressure measurement in the practice is usually not sufficiently suitable, especially since many patients tend to have a higher blood pressure in the consultation than at home under everyday conditions.

A reliable, nowadays indispensable method for diagnosing arterial hypertension, as well as for checking blood pressure-lowering drug therapy, is long-term blood pressure measurement. Here, a small, portable blood pressure device, which is worn on the body with a belt, similar to a handbag, measures your blood pressure at regular intervals and stores the determined values. With this device, you can go about your daily activities normally. The next day, we will evaluate and assess the blood pressure values obtained during these activities. The recording usually lasts 18 to 24 hours.

Lung function test (spirometry)

Indispensable in the diagnosis and therapy monitoring of diseases of the lungs and bronchial tubes is pulmonary function diagnostics, which can also be carried out in our practice. All you have to do is breathe in and out through a tube into an analysis device or perform certain breathing manoeuvres according to instructions. Computer-assisted evaluation allows us to reliably detect respiratory disorders and monitor their progress.

Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI) and pulse wave velocity

The ankle-brachial index (ABI) is a value that can be determined by Doppler sonography and blood pressure measurement (quotient of blood pressure at the lower leg and blood pressure at the upper arm). It is used to estimate the cardiovascular risk and to assess the progression of peripheral arterial occlusive disease (pAVK, shop window disease). The ankle-brachial index has the greatest informative value for predicting heart attacks, strokes and mortality.

Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is a measure of arterial stiffness and, in combination with the ankle-brachial index, increases the predictivepower of cardiovascular disease.