Heart screening and imaging
Regular heart screening is important for maintaining your heart health. Heart screening can include blood tests to examine cholesterol and glucose levels, as well as imaging exams to both screen for heart complications and monitor current conditions.
Heart health screening in Gainesville
HCA Florida North Florida Hospital offers specialized imaging and screening services to diagnose cardiovascular disease.
Our cardiac screening procedures help us identify occurrences inside the heart and blood vessels so we can offer every patient prompt diagnosis and comprehensive treatment.
Additionally, we are accredited by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission for our services in Transthoracic Echocardiography and Transesophageal Echocardiography.
Related Specialties
Learn more about our related specialties
Noninvasive diagnostic heart services
Many specialized imaging procedures are used in the diagnosis of heart conditions and vascular disease. Our cardiac care starts with heart health check and diagnosis, so we can identify what is causing cardiovascular symptoms, such as chest pain and shortness of breath.
Heart and vascular imaging
Our heart testing services include:
- Angiogram — Also known as an arteriogram, this imaging procedure uses X-rays and a special dye to visualize the arteries. It is a valuable tool in detecting blockages or damage in the arteries.
- Cardiac stress test — This test is often performed on patients experiencing heart attack symptoms with normal tests and lab work. It examines the heart's response to exercise and records the heartbeat while a patient walks on a treadmill or rides a stationary bike.
- Echocardiogram — Also known as a Doppler test, this heart imaging exam uses ultrasound technology to create a clear image of the heart. It displays the size of the heart and the functionality of its chambers and valves.
- Electrocardiogram (EKG) — This test measures the electrical activity of the heart. It registers the heart's electrical patterns and records them onto a graph.
- Heart computerized tomography (CT) — This specialized CT scan is used to detect if calcium is present in the plaque or walls of the coronary arteries. It uses X-rays to measure the amount of calcium.
- Nuclear stress test — This test assesses the heart's function and if there are any blockages present. It delivers a safe amount of radioactive material, called a radiotracer, to the bloodstream. A special camera scans the radiotracer as it flows through the heart. The camera takes pictures that help our doctors develop a treatment plan.
- Transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE test) — This specialized type of echocardiogram allows the doctor to view the heart from inside the esophagus. This is especially useful in identifying infection, disease or abnormalities in the heart's structure.
Outpatient heart screening
Heart imaging procedures may be performed at our hospital or our outpatient imaging center, Invision Imaging Center.
Invision Imaging Center
For outpatient diagnostic procedures, Invision Imaging Center is equipped to perform CT scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and nuclear medicine studies.
Patients may also receive a 16-slice volumetric CT (VCT) scan of the heart at our outpatient imaging center. This test scans the entire heart within the span of five heartbeats. It produces a 3D image and detailed view of the coronary arteries.
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