Acute Cardiac Assessment

At Blackrock Health, we offer an Acute Cardiac Assessment service at our three hospitals. This service gives quick and expert medical care to patients with worrying symptoms.

If you have chest pain, feel dizzy or lightheaded, have shortness of breath, or have a racing pulse rate, our acute assessment is the best response.

It offers a faster way to get an expert diagnosis for your symptoms. We provide quick access to experienced cardiac clinicians who can diagnose your condition. We will then review your case directly with one of our expert cardiac consultants. Most patients feel reassured after this assessment, and those who need fast treatment can start the process right away.

Our Acute Cardiac Assessment service gives patients fast access to heart care as they need it. It is open to patients with or without a referral from a GP.

If your symptoms are serious and you need urgent treatment, our acute assessment can provide you with the best possible care. Our cardiologists have expertise in a wide range of cardiac illnesses and can provide fast diagnosis and effective treatments to help manage your condition. We use the latest technology to diagnose and treat cardiac issues, so you can be sure that you are getting the best possible care.

Who is the service for?

This Acute Cardiac Assessment service is for patients who have symptoms such as:

• Chest pain
• Irregular heart rhythm or palpitations
• Shortness of breath, which could be related to the heart.

What to expect as a patient

A member of the Acute Cardiac Assessment team will check your condition at first. They will perform the following:

History and physical examination

During this step, they will ask about your medical history. This will include your family’s history of heart disease and your lifestyle habits such as smoking and diet. Then, they will examine you.

Blood tests

If you need an acute cardiac assessment, we may need to perform some blood tests for further analysis and diagnosis. These tests will cover a wide range of areas connected with your heart health.

Electrocardiogram (ECG)

An ECG is a simple and painless procedure used to measure the electrical activity of the heart. This can help us diagnose cardiac conditions and coronary problems.

If you need more cardiac tests, we can organise them. Some cardiology diagnostic tests we might order are:

Echocardiogram (Echo)

An Echo is an ultrasound that takes images of your heart, valves and major blood vessels. It will show how they are working and can diagnose structural problems with your heart. Again, it is non-invasive and painless.

Exercise Stress Test

This type of test measures the heart’s response to physical activity. It can help detect underlying cardiac problems. During the test, you will walk or run on a treadmill while we monitor your heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing. The results of this test allow our team to identify any abnormal patterns in your heart.

Holter Monitor

A Holter Monitor is a continuous recording of your ECG over a period. The time measured can vary. It can diagnose many heart rhythm disorders, including palpitations. The monitor is a wearable device.

24-Hour Blood Pressure Monitor

This monitor records your BP for 24 hours. It can diagnose patients with hypertension or high blood pressure. The monitor is a wearable device.

Cardiac CT

A cardiac CT is a scan to view your coronary arteries, which are the blood vessels that supply blood to your heart. This can quickly help detect or rule out heart conditions that can cause concern, including blocked arteries, heart damage from previous strokes or heart attacks. The scan includes a calcium score – assessing any build up in your arteries.

Cardiac MRI

Cardiac MRI images show the parts of your heart and any damage to specific areas. This can help diagnose conditions such as coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathy, valve abnormalities, and other structural heart diseases.

By studying the heart in this way, our team can quickly identify potential heart problems.

Consultant Review and Plan of Care

As part of this service, one of our expert cardiologists will check your results and talk to you. Their plan of care may include:

•Staying at the hospital for more observation or monitoring
•A follow-up appointment with the consultant in an out-patient setting
•Referral for an urgent interventional procedure in our Cath Lab.

Our Team

•Communicate any costs you may incur in advance.
•Help you check your health insurance coverage or provide you with self-paying options.