Monday 18 October 2010

The Life - Saving Benefits Of Cardiac Imaging

Doctors depend on cardiac imaging when they have patients suffering from chest pain or other risk symptoms of heart problems. This imaging procedure helps doctors in finding out whether there is an evidence of heart disease, such as blockages in the coronary arteries or reduced blood flow to the heart.There are two methods of cardiac imaging including Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Cardiac Computed Tomography (CT) are allowing doctors to take a closer look at the heart and great vessels at little risk to the patient.
MRI uses huge magnets and radio-frequency waves to promote high-quality still and moving images of the body's internal structures; no X-ray exposure is included, Like anything MRI also has disadvantages : people with peacemakers cannot have MRIs. Also some people who are morbidly obese cannot fit in into an MRI system MRI scans require patients to hold still for extended periods of time. MRI exams can range in length from 20 minutes to 90 minutes or more. Even very slight movement of the part being scanned can cause distorted images which means the scanning will need to be repeated , while CT scan is an x-ray procedure which combines many x-ray images with the aid of a computer to generate cross-sectional views of the body. Cardiac CT uses advanced CT technology with or without intravenous iodine-based contrast to visualize cardiac anatomy, including the coronary arteries and great arteries and veins. CT scan has also disadvantages: Lack of IV access makes the CT procedure difficult to interpret, CTA is unsuitable when there is a large amount of existing coronary artery calcification.

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