Cardiac catheterization (heart cath) is the insertion of a catheter into a chamber or vessel of the heart. In Medicine a catheter is a tube that can be inserted into a body cavity duct or vessel Heart chamber is a general term used to refer to any of the four chambers of the Mammalian Heart (an organ) Right atrium The blood vessels are part of the Circulatory system and function to transport Blood throughout the body The heart is a muscular organ in all Vertebrates responsible for pumping Blood through the Blood vessels by repeated rhythmic This is done for both investigational and interventional purposes. Coronary catheterization is a subset of this technique, involving the catheterization of the coronary arteries. A coronary catheterization is a Minimally invasive procedure to access the Coronary circulation and blood filled chambers of the Heart using a Catheter Coronary circulation is the circulation of blood in the Blood vessels that supply Blood to and from the Heart muscle
A small puncture is made in a vessel in the groin, the inner bend of the elbow, or neck area (the femoral vessels or the carotid/jugular vessels), then a guidewire is inserted into the incision and threaded through the vessel into the area of the heart that requires treatment, visualized by fluoroscopy or echocardiogram, and a catheter is then threaded over the guidewire. In Human anatomy, the groin areas are the two creases at the junction of the Torso with the Legs on either side of the Pubic In Human anatomy, the common carotid artery is an Artery that supplies the head and neck with Oxygenated blood; it divides in the neck to form the The jugular veins are Veins that bring deoxygenated blood from the Head back to the heart via the Superior vena cava. Fluoroscopy is an imaging technique commonly used by Physicians to obtain real-time moving images of the internal structures of a patient through the use of a fluoroscope An echocardiogram is a Sonography of the Heart. Also known as a cardiac ultrasound it uses standard ultrasound techniques to image two-dimensional slices of If X-ray fluoroscopy is used, a radiocontrast agent will be administered to the patient during the procedure. Contrast medium Radiocontrast agents (also simply contrast agents or contrast materials) are compounds used to improve the visibility of internal bodily structures When the necessary procedures are complete, the catheter is removed. Firm pressure is applied to the site to prevent bleeding. This may be done by hand or with a mechanical device. Other closure techniques include an internal suture. If the femoral artery was used, the patient will probably be asked to lie flat for several hours to prevent bleeding or the development of a hematoma. The femoral artery is a large Artery in the muscles of the Thigh. A hematoma, or haematoma, is a collection of Blood outside the blood vessels generally the result of Hemorrhage, or more specifically Internal bleeding Cardiac interventions such as the insertion of a stent prolong both the procedure itself as well as the post-catheterization time spent in allowing the wound to clot. In Medicine, a stent is a tube that is inserted into a natural conduit of the body to prevent or counteract a disease-induced localized flow constriction
A cardiac catheterization is a general term for a group of procedures that are performed using this method, such as coronary angiography. A coronary catheterization is a Minimally invasive procedure to access the Coronary circulation and blood filled chambers of the Heart using a Catheter Once the catheter is in place, it can be used to perform a number of procedures including angioplasty, angiography, and balloon septostomy. Angioplasty is the technique of mechanically widening a narrowed or totally obstructed Blood vessel; typically as a result of Atherosclerosis. Angiography or arteriography is a Medical imaging technique in which an X-ray image is taken to visualize the inside or lumen, of blood vessels Balloon septostomy is the widening of a Foramen ovale, Patent foramen ovale ( PFO) or Atrial septal defect ( ASD) via Cardiac
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History
The history of cardiac catheterization dates back to Claude Bernard (1813-1878), who used it on animal models. The history of invasive and interventional cardiology is complex with multiple groups working independently on similar technologies Claude Bernard ( July 12, 1813 – February 10, 1878) was a French Physiologist. Clinical application of cardiac catheterization begins with Werner Forssmann in the 1930s, who inserted a catheter into the vein of his own forearm, guided it fluoroscopically into his right atrium, and took an X-ray picture of it. Werner Forßmann, ( August 29, 1904 &ndash June 1, 1979) was a Physician from Germany. X-radiation (composed of X-rays) is a form of Electromagnetic radiation. Forssmann won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for this achievement. The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (Nobelpriset i fysiologi eller medicin is awarded once a year by the Swedish Karolinska Institute. During World War II, André Frédéric Cournand and his colleagues developed techniques for left and right heart catheterization. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including André Frédéric Cournand ( September 24, 1895 &ndash February 19, 1988) was a French Physician and Physiologist.
Indications for investigational use
This technique has several goals:
- confirm the presence of a suspected heart ailment
- quantify the severity of the disease and its effect on the heart
- seek out the cause of a symptom such as shortness of breath or signs of cardiac insufficiency
- make a patient assessment prior to heart surgery
Investigative techniques used with cardiac catheterization
A probe that is opaque to X-rays is inserted into the left or right chambers of the heart for the following reasons:
- to measure intracardiac and intravascular blood pressures
- to take tissue samples for biopsy
- to inject various agents for measuring blood flow in the heart; also to detect and quantify the presence of an intracardiac shunt
- to inject contrast agents in order to study the shape of the heart vessels and chambers and how they change as the heart beats
External links
- eMedicine: Cardiac Catheterization (Left Heart)
- MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Cardiac catheterization
- Cardiac Catherization by Florida Institute of Cardiovascular Care