testing for a heart attack

If you think you’re having a heart attack, get help at once. Don’t wait to be sure. Call 9-1-1 right away. Delay can be deadly.

Once you get help, you will undergo tests to see if a heart attack has actually occurred. Some tests are done at the hospital, while others can be done by emergency medical personnel who come in an ambulance. (Tests and treatments done by emergency medical personnel.)

Key heart attack tests are:

Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG). This is a graphic record of the electrical activity of the heart as it contracts and relaxes. The ECG can detect abnormal heartbeats, some areas of damage, inadequate blood flow, and heart enlargement.
Blood test. A blood test will be done routinely to check for enzymes or other substances that are released when cells begin to die. These are "markers" of the amount of damage to your heart.
Nuclear scan. This test shows areas of the heart that lack blood flow and are damaged. It also can reveal problems with the heart’s pumping action. A small amount of radioactive material is injected into a vein, usually in the arm. A scanning camera positioned over the heart records whether the nuclear material is taken up by the heart muscle (healthy areas) or not (damaged areas). The camera also can evaluate how well the heart muscle pumps blood. This test can be done during both rest and exercise, enhancing the usefulness of its results.
Coronary angiography (or arteriography). This test is used to check blockages and narrowed areas inside coronary arteries. A fine tube (catheter) is threaded through an artery of an arm or leg up into the heart. A dye that shows up on X ray is then injected into the blood vessel, and the vessels and heart are filmed as the heart pumps. The picture is called an angiogram or arteriogram.

Test Yourself:

Take An "Act In Time To Heart Attack Signs" Quiz

Emergency Medical Personnel

Calling 9-1-1 is like bringing a hospital emergency department to your door. Why?

Emergency medical personnel can take vital signs, determine your medical condition, and if needed give added medical care.
In many places, emergency medical personnel are linked to hospitals and doctors, so they can relay your vital signs and electrocardiogram to the emergency department before you arrive. This way, you receive immediate continued treatment by emergency department personnel once you reach the hospital.
Emergency medical personnel can give a variety of treatments and medications at the scene. Emergency medical personnel carry drugs and equipment that can help your medical condition, including oxygen, heart medications (such as nitroglycerin), pain relief treatments (such as morphine), and defibrillators (equipment that restarts the heart if it stops beating).

Courtesy of National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute