Hospitalization - Other Tests
Nuclear Scanning. Nuclear scanning is a simple and safe procedure. A chemical is injected into the bloodstream. It is called a radioactive tracer, and it is taken up by various organs in the body. The concentration of radioactive material in the various organs is measured with a Geiger-Muller counter, giving an impression of their size and ability to function. The test is often used as a safe screening procedure to determine whether there is an abnormality that might require further, more complicated tests.
Ultrasound and Echo Studies. These studies are used mainly for examinations of the heart and abdomen. The procedures are painless and completely safe. They work on the same principle as sonar, in that the sound waves or ultrasound waves reflect off different tissues at different rates, enabling an image to be formed.
Computerized Axial Tomography. One of the more dramatic advances in recent years is the CAT scan. Information that formerly could only be obtained by exploratory surgery can now often be gathered with accuracy and safety. For instance, the investigation of certain brain diseases sometimes required a procedure called air encephalography that was painful for the patient, required the services of a neurologist, a radiologist, and a technician, and carried some danger. The CAT scan has made this procedure rarely necessary. From the patient's point of view, the scan is no more troublesome than having one's photograph taken.
Stress Test. A common test of cardiac efficiency is the stress test, which is usually done as a "screen" for coronary artery disease before any disease is obvious. Although it is more commonly an outpatient procedure, it is usually done in a hospital cardiac department. Electrodes are attached to the patient, who walks slowly on a revolving rubber treadmill. The speed is gradually increased, and the heart rate is kept under constant observation for any signs of stress.
Respiratory Laboratory. This is where the efficiency of a patient's lung function is tested. The test normally involves little more than breathing in and out of a series of machines, but may also include some blood sampling. It is quite safe and, apart from the discomfort of taking a blood sample, quite painless.
Ultrasound and Echo Studies. These studies are used mainly for examinations of the heart and abdomen. The procedures are painless and completely safe. They work on the same principle as sonar, in that the sound waves or ultrasound waves reflect off different tissues at different rates, enabling an image to be formed.
Computerized Axial Tomography. One of the more dramatic advances in recent years is the CAT scan. Information that formerly could only be obtained by exploratory surgery can now often be gathered with accuracy and safety. For instance, the investigation of certain brain diseases sometimes required a procedure called air encephalography that was painful for the patient, required the services of a neurologist, a radiologist, and a technician, and carried some danger. The CAT scan has made this procedure rarely necessary. From the patient's point of view, the scan is no more troublesome than having one's photograph taken.
Stress Test. A common test of cardiac efficiency is the stress test, which is usually done as a "screen" for coronary artery disease before any disease is obvious. Although it is more commonly an outpatient procedure, it is usually done in a hospital cardiac department. Electrodes are attached to the patient, who walks slowly on a revolving rubber treadmill. The speed is gradually increased, and the heart rate is kept under constant observation for any signs of stress.
Respiratory Laboratory. This is where the efficiency of a patient's lung function is tested. The test normally involves little more than breathing in and out of a series of machines, but may also include some blood sampling. It is quite safe and, apart from the discomfort of taking a blood sample, quite painless.
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