SERVICES OF THE CARDIOLOGY DEPARTMENT
Acute coronary syndromes
Systemic fibrinolysis (rt-PA); primary coronary angioplasty; intensive care unit admission followed by ward electrocardiographic monitoring and treatment.
Coronary atherosclerosis
Diagnostic coronary angiogram (usually by radial artery access); coronary angioplasty; multi-slice coronary CT; Exercise tests (bicycle, stress imaging by pharmacological or exercise echocardiography; exercise or pharmacological myocardial scintigraphy).
Heart failure
Cardiac re-synchronization (CRT) with or without defibrillation (ICD); intensive care unit admission followed by ward electrocardiographic monitoring and treatment; echocardiography.
Thromboembolic pulmonary disease
Systemic fibrinolysis (rt-PA); clinical, intensive care unit admission followed by ward electrocardiographic monitoring and treatment; Radiologic (Pulmonary Artery CT scan) and Nuclear Medicine (pulmonary ventilation – perfusion scan) diagnostics.
Syncope
Implantation and remote control of automatic loop-recorder; tilt-test head up; trans-esophageal atrial stimulation: invasive electrophysiologic study; definitive pacemaker implantations; implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD).
Bradyarrhythmias
Clinical monitoring and intensive care unit admission followed by ward electrocardiographic monitoring and treatment; urgent temporary external and percutaneous pacing; definitive pacemaker implant.
Ventricular tachyarrhythmias/sudden death prevention
Clinical monitoring and intensive care unit admission followed by ward electrocardiographic monitoring and treatment; electrical cardioversion/defibrillation; ICD implantation and remote control, cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT); invasive electrophysiologic study/ablation; microvolt T-wave alternans test (mTWA); dynamic electtrocardiogram (ECG-Holter 24-4 weeks).
Supraventricular tachyarrhythmias (included atrial fibrillation)
Clinical monitoring and intensive care unit admission followe by ward electrocardiographic monitoring and treatment; electrical or pharmacological cardioversion; atrial trans-oesophageal stimulation; invasive electrophysiological study; trans-catheter ablation in radiofrequency (with electro-anatomic mapping systems).
Acute inflammatory disease
Clinical monitoring and intensive care unit admission followed by ward electrocardiographic monitoring and treatment; specialized infectivological assessment.
Patency of oval foramen
Percutaneous elective closure of PFO (Patent foramen ovale) with trans-oesophageal echocardiographic or intracardiac monitoring.
Atrial fibrillation and cerebral stroke risk
Percutaneous closure of left atrium appendage, for stroke prevention, in patients with atrial fibrillation with side-effects to anticoagulants.