Diagnosis

The diagnosis of a heart attack is based on symptoms and test results. Some main tests to diagnose a heart attack include an ECG, blood tests, echocardiography, and coronary catheterization (Heart Attack 2015). 

An ECG monitors heart rate and rhythm and is able to determine how much damage to the heart muscle has occurred (Heart Attack 2015). Blood can be drawn to measure cardiac enzyme levels which indicate heart muscle damage (Heart Attack 2015). These specific enzymes are released when heart muscle cells are injured, such as potassium (Heart Attack 2015). Troponin levels are also an important indicator; they are proteins released from heart cells when the cells are damaged due to poor blood circulation to the heart (Heart Attack 2015). 

Echocardiography can show images of the heart and damaged heart structures and what locations the heart is not able to pump normally (Heart Attack 2015). 

A coronary catheterization, also known as an angiogram, is when a dye is injected into the arteries of the heart through a thin tube; this allows the arteries to appear visible on an X-ray showing possible areas of blockage (Heart Attack – Mayo Clinic 2015). 

An exercise stress test can also be used to measure how the heart responds to exercise and exertion (Heart Attack – Mayo Clinic 2015). 

      

Heart attack – Mayo Clinic. (2015, January 1). Retrieved January 31, 2015, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-attack/basics/tests-diagnosis/con-20019520

Heart Attack: Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, and More - WebMD. (2015, January 1). Retrieved January 31, 2015, from http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/guide/heart-disease-heart-attacks?page=2#3

The Widow Maker of Coronary Artery Disease – youtube.com. (2015, June). Retrieved January 31, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAvxVUpv-rs