I was just wondering which is these 2 investigations is the most reliable.
2006-12-04 19:25:50 · 4 answers · asked by The way I are 1 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Heart Diseases
My mum was supposed to have had 2 heart attacks (which showed on the ECG), but when she had the echo, it showed her heart was fine and the consultant said it was fine! She has high blood pressure and all's been well since she heard about the echo, now when she went to see her GP last week, she said to my mum "We'll have to keep a watch, as you're ECG came back as unstable". My mum has got all depressed again, as she thought all was well.
2006-12-04 19:45:45 · update #1
Your heart works two ways, electrically and anatomically. The heart muscle pumps, but not without the stimulation of the electrical conduction system of the heart. The echocardiogram is like an ultrasound that will show the anatomy of the valves and ventricles, give an estimate of your Ejection Fraction (strength of the heart pumping)- but cannot give you any info on the electrical. The EKG is only electrical waveforms and can show if heart attatck or angina is occuring in the coronary arteries. You have NO indication on an Echo what is going on in your coronary arteries. That is why an abnormal EKG would eventually lead to PCI- percutaneous coronary intervention/Cardiac Catheterization done by a Cardiologist to inject dye into the coronaries to determine blockage. Intervention may/may not be needed at this point depending on the extent of blockage (if any) which includes stenting/angioplasty. If three or more coronary arteries are seen to be blocked, cardiac bypass is recommended at this point.
2006-12-05 15:34:33 · answer #1 · answered by nancynurse 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes! I did have a mild MI in 1992, and the ekg's show evidence of it.
I have had two echoes in the last five years and they were okay, just a slight problem with the s.
They said that is normal.
2006-12-05 03:38:23 · answer #2 · answered by pixles 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'v had loads of both of them and neither one is toally reliable , you have to have an angiogram to know for sure , hope that helps , good luck .
2006-12-05 03:31:24 · answer #3 · answered by nicemanvery 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
niether is 100% but echocardiagram is slightly more reliable,
2006-12-05 03:34:39 · answer #4 · answered by karen. 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋