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.