Cardiac Care

CRMC's Cardio-Pulmonary testing includes:

Echocardiogram
Holter Monitor Testing
Stress Test
Pharmacological Stress Test
Myoview Stress Test
Pacemaker Checks

Cardiac wellness requires commitment - yours and ours. If you have cardiovascular disease your commitment to regular supervised exercise and a healthy lifestyle must be consistent for you to regain strength. Our commitment at Catskill Regional Medical Center means that trained staff will be with you every step of the way to help you make these lifestyle changes meaningful and healthful.

About Cardiac Care

CRMC's Cardiac Care provides:

• Specially trained personnel
• Built-in safety factors
• Availability of all hospital services
• Information on your medications
• Review of your medications
• Feedback to monitor your progress
• Diet and nutrition review
• Information on reducing risk factors
• Peace of mind - you are getting the best help available
• Continuous monitoring of your exercise regimen
• Stress management

Planned and supervised exercise is good for you and your heart. A consistent program:

• Increases lean body mass
• Lowers percentage of fat
• Lowers your cholesterol risk
• Decreases blood pressure
• Lowers levels of triglycerides (fatty acids)
• Eases stress and depression
• Strengthens your sense of well-being
• Reduces angina-stimulated chest pain
• Increases work capacity
• Develops efficiency of skeletal muscle

Cardio-Pulmonary Care

CRMC wants to help you prevent heart disease: Eat a diet low in animal fats and cholesterol and high in fruits, vegetables, and grains. Stay away from cigarettes. Keep your body weight within a healthy range. Keep your blood pressure and blood sugar under control.

This knowledge will pay off in many ways. Heart disease still remains the number one killer in the United States. Our fast-paced lives can sometimes make it difficult to stick to healthy lifestyle habits. Even the most health-conscious person may not be able to overcome an inherited risk for heart disease or a problem in the structure of the heart.

The Cardiologists at CRMC are experts when it comes to diagnosing and treating heart disease. .If you have another medical condition, such as diabetes or kidney disease, your cardiologist will know how to plan your care in a way that takes into account all of your health needs. Sometimes your family doctor will ask a cardiologist to evaluate your heart and simply recommend the right treatment or further tests. An example of this might involve a stress test in someone with a strong family history of heart disease. Chest pain or discomfort is one of the most common reasons to see a cardiologist. In other cases, your heart problem may be serious enough that it will require the ongoing care of a cardiologist.

Our Preventive cardiologists will evaluate your risk of heart disease and institute and monitor preventive therapy. The Rehabilitative cardiologists focus on your recovery after a heart attack or an episode of congestive heart failure. Both help you to make healthy changes in many parts of your life in addition to taking the appropriate medications for your particular problems. The following are the most common tests that maybe performed to evaluate you correctly. Our cardiologists, the Cardio-Pulmonary Department and the Radiology Department work together as a team to assist in providing you with the proper treatment you may require. The tests can be performed in the office or the Cardio-Pulmonary Department as an outpatient procedure. The information from these tests will help your cardiologist to plan the appropriate treatment for you.

CRMC's Cardio-Pulmonary services include:

• Echocardiogram (Appointment required)

An echocardiogram is an ultrasound of your heart. The heart and valves are visualized using sound waves and a video recording is made.
Preparation: There is no preparation for this exam.
Length of Exam: Approximately one hour

• Holter Monitor Testing (Appointment required)

A Holter monitor is a 24-hour recording of your heart rate and rhythm. The patient must return the next day to have the unit removed.
Preparation: There is no preparation for this exam. Please bring a list of your medications.
Length of Exam: Approximately 20 minutes to attach the recorder to patient

• Stress Test (Appointment required)

A stress test consists of the monitoring of your heath rate while walking on a treadmill.
Preparation: No eating, drinking or smoking after midnight prior to the test. Wear comfortable walking shoes and loose fitting clothing.
Length of Exam: Approximately 30-45 minutes

• Pharmacological Stress Test (Appointment required)

This stress test does not require exercising on a treadmill. A medication called Adenosine is given to the patient. A radiographic isotope is then injected through an IV and the test is completed with a scan. The patient must return three hours later for another scan and may not eat (NPO) during that time. Patients will be given instructions by the nuclear medicine department during this time.
Preparation: The cardio-pulmonary department will need a list of medications you are taking, your weight and information on any allergies you might have. No eating, drinking or smoking after midnight prior to exam.
Length of exam: Approximately four hours

• Myoview Stress Test (Appointment required)

A Myoview stress test is done by injecting a radiographic isotope (Myoview) through an IV. The injection is followed by a scan in nuclear medicine. The patient must also have a resting scan.
Preparation: The patient must not eat, drink or smoke from midnight the night before the exam. The nuclear medicine department will give instructions for the resting scan.
Length of Exam: Approximately four hours

• Pacemaker Checks (Appointment required)

This is to ensure the devise is operational and performing appropriately. Depending on the frequency set by the following physician, the device can be checked as often as is necessary. Routine pacemaker checks are typically done in-office every six (6) months, though will vary depending upon patient/device status and remote monitoring availability.

At the time of in-office follow-up, the device will be interrogated to perform diagnostic testing. These tests include:
Sensing: the ability to "see" intrinsic cardiac activity (Atrial and ventricular depolarization).
Impedance: A test to measure the lead integrity. Large and/or sudden decreases in impedance can signify a breach in lead insulation.
Threshold: this test confirms the minimum amount of energy (both volts and pulse width) required to reliably depolarize (capture) the chamber being tested. Determining the threshold allows the Allied Professional, Representative, or Physician to program and output that recognizes an appropriate safety margin while optimizing device longevity.

Preparation: The patient should have their pacemaker id card. A primary care physician and/or a Cardiologist for reports to be sent. We do not need to see the patient, if the patient is being followed by someone and only wants a check. We would require the same diagnostic demographic information and insurance information.
Length of Exam: Approximately one hour

For further information, please call Julia Schwartz at 845.794.3300, Extension 2640.

Pulmonary Services

The CRMC Pulmonary Department provides 24/7 coverage including:

• Neo-natal, Pediatric and adult mechanical ventilation
• Pulmonary function testing
• Administration of respiratory modalities and medications
• Better Breather support group (April - November) 2nd Thursday of every month at 3 p.m. in the ASB Boardroom at the Harris facility.

For more information, call Nadine Gallagher at 845.794.3300, Extension 2142