Service details
Procedure details and treatment flow
Examination by a specialist cardiologist
Cardiology is a field of internal medicine that deals with the study of etiology, pathogenesis, pathophysiology, clinical picture, diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the heart and blood vessels. Given that cardiovascular diseases are the most common health problem today, preventive and regular examinations are of absolute importance for a long and quality life.
In our polyclinic in Kragujevac, cardiology examination is performed by an experienced internal medicine specialist and cardiology subspecialist. The examination itself is completely painless, does not require any prior preparation and no invasive instruments are used.
On average, the examination lasts about 20 to 30 minutes, and if necessary, longer, so that the doctor can devote himself to the patient as much as possible and find out the exact cause of the complaints.
Symptoms that should not be ignored
A significant number of people with cardiovascular diseases can be without any symptoms (most often they suffer from arterial hypertension, heart rhythm disorders). In some people, symptoms appear only in certain situations (physical effort, mental stress, presence of associated diseases such as anemia, thyroid gland dysfunction, lung, kidney, liver disease...). The sudden onset of symptoms may be accompanied by the risk of the patient's life being endangered (sudden heart failure, aortic dissection, malignant heart rhythm disorders).
If you feel pain, tightness or pressure in the middle of the chest, suffocation, sudden palpitations and skipping of the heart, dizziness accompanied by nausea or you notice swelling of the lower legs, it is necessary to have a cardiology examination as soon as possible. These symptoms may indicate serious conditions that require a quick response.
What the examination looks like and what it includes
Cardiology examination is systematic and consists of several key steps, which give the experienced eye and ear of a cardiologist a clear picture of the state of your cardiovascular system.
1. Interview (anamnesis)
The doctor begins the examination by talking about your current complaints. Detailed data on the patient's habits (level of physical activity, consumption of cigarettes, alcohol, energy drinks, psychoactive substances, drugs), previous illnesses (personal history) and diseases in the family (family history) are taken. Risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, stress, smoking and genetic predisposition to heart disease are detected.
2. Physical examination
- Inspection and palpation: The doctor observes the external signs of the disease (skin color, swelling, build), feels the thyroid gland, abdomen and peripheral pulses.
- Auscultation: Listening to the work of the heart and lungs using a stethoscope. This reveals heart murmurs, rhythm and breathing disorders.
- Measurement of arterial pressure: Accurate measurement of systolic ("upper") and diastolic ("lower") blood pressure with a digital device and a sphygmomanometer.
3. ECG and additional diagnostics
Every specialist cardiology examination necessarily includes the creation of an electrocardiographic record (ECG "strips"). An electrocardiograph (EKG device) records the electrical activity of the heart with the help of electrodes. Based on the ECG record and its interpretation, the cardiologist can determine the heart rate, the presence of enlargement/thickening of the heart muscle, ischemia (angina pectoris, myocardial infarction), as well as disturbances in the creation of the heart rhythm (extrasystoles, atrial fibrillation) and conduction of heart impulses (atrial-ventricular blocks, blocks of the branches of the Hiss bundle).
After the examination, the cardiologist makes a working or final diagnosis and gives recommendations for therapy and lifestyle correction (diet, physical activity, optimizing body mass, stopping the use of cigarettes, alcohol...).
If the nature of the complaints requires it, the patient is specifically referred to additional diagnostic procedures:
- Ultrasound examination of the heart (assessment of the dimensions of the heart cavities, the structure and contractility of the heart muscle, the condition of the heart valves, the aorta and the heart sac)
- Physical stress test (assessment of the level of coronary flow reserve and detection of patients who are candidates for treatment by an interventional cardiologist (insertion of stents) or a cardiac surgeon (creation of an aortocoronary bypass)
- Ambulatory EKG monitoring ((HOLTER EKG) - detection primarily of heart rhythm disorders; evaluation of the effect of previously used therapy and determination of the indication for the application of one of the non-pharmacological methods of treatment (radiofrequency ablation of arrhythmogenic focus, installation of an electrostimulator of the heart rhythm (pacemaker)/intracardiac defibrillator)
Types of cardiology examinations
- Initial cardiology examination of a previously untreated patient (assessment of cardiology status and cardiovascular risk)
- Initial cardiology examination of a previously treated patient (by a doctor specializing in general medicine and/or internal medicine) in order to optimize therapy and conduct additional diagnostic procedures
- Control cardiology examination (assessment of cardiology status, therapies used until then and indications for additional diagnostic procedures)
- Periprocedural cardiology examination (preparation of patients for the implementation of certain diagnostic procedures (endoscopic examinations of the esophagus, stomach and intestines; endoscopic examinations of the urinary bladder, uterus; bonhoscopy), surgical interventions (dental surgical interventions, operations performed by a general surgeon, vascular surgeon, orthopedist, neurosurgeon, thoracic surgeon, urologist, ophthalmologist...) and oncological treatment (assessment of the cardiac status before and after treatment) radiotherapy and chemotherapy).