About this topic
Cardiac catheterization is also called cardiac cath. It is used to see how well your heart is working. The doctor can also look at the blood vessels in your heart and see if any are blocked. A thin plastic tube, called a catheter, is put inside a blood vessel in your leg or arm. The doctor moves the tube through the blood vessels and into the heart. The doctor can do tests using dye and x-rays to look for clogged heart blood vessels. Other treatments may be done using this same tube. ‚
A cardiac cath is done to: ‚
- Learn more about your heart problem like narrow blood vessels and heart defects
- See how well your heart is pumping, how the blood is flowing, and what the pressure levels are in your heart
- Take a tissue sample of the heart
- Fix heart problems or treat other problems
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What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do.
- Take your drugs as directed by your doctor.
- Talk to your doctor about how to care for your cut site. Ask your doctor about:
- When you should change your bandages
- When you may take a bath or shower
- If you need to be careful with lifting things over 10 pounds
- When you may go back to your normal activities like work, driving, or sex
- If your cut site starts to bleed, lie down. Put pressure on it until the bleeding stops.
- Be sure to wash your hands before touching your wound or dressing.
- Take small walks around your house. Get enough rest.
- Talk to your doctor about how much fluid you should drink to flush the dye out of your body.
- Avoid straining when having a bowel movement. Eat a lot of fiber-rich foods like fruits, whole grains, and vegetables.
What follow-up care is needed?
Ask your doctor to talk with you about the results of the test. Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits. ‚
What drugs may be needed?
Talk to your doctor about what drugs you will need to take. If you have been taking drugs for high blood sugar, ask your doctor when you can start taking them again. Talk to your doctor about drugs that may increase bleeding. ‚
Will physical activity be limited?
You may have to limit your activity. Talk to your doctor about the right amount of activity for you. ‚
What changes to diet are needed?
- Sometimes, these test results will cause your doctor to suggest changes in your diet. Ask about what is a good diet plan for you. You may be told to eat a low salt or low fat diet.
- Ask if you should drink lots of water to wash out the dye used during the procedure.
What problems could happen?
- Irregular heartbeat, stroke, or heart attack
- Blood clots or damage to the blood vessels
- Nerve injury
- Bruising or bleeding at the cut site
- Infection
- Buildup of air in the spaces of the lung and the chest (pneumothorax)
- Allergic reactions to drugs, dyes, or contrast agents
- Kidney problems
- Low blood pressure
What can be done to prevent this health problem?
- Eat a healthy diet.
- Work out often as ordered by your doctor.
- Keep a healthy lifestyle.
- Do not smoke or drink too much alcohol.
When do I need to call the doctor?
Activate the emergency medical system right away if you have signs of a heart attack or stroke. Call 911 in the United States or Canada. The sooner treatment begins, the better your chances for recovery. Call for emergency help right away if you have: ‚
- Signs of heart attack:
- Chest pain
- Trouble breathing
- Fast heartbeat
- Feeling dizzy
- Signs of stroke:
- Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body
- Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
- Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
- Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
- Sudden severe headache with no known cause
Call your doctor if you have: ‚
- Signs of a very bad reaction. These include wheezing; chest tightness; fever; itching; bad cough; blue skin color; seizures; or swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat. Go to the ER right away.
- Signs of infection. These include a fever of 100.4 ‚ °F (38 ‚ °C) or higher, chills, very bad sore throat, ear or sinus pain, cough, more sputum or change in color of sputum, pain with passing urine, mouth sores, or wound that will not heal.
- Signs of wound infection. These include swelling, redness, warmth around the wound; too much pain when touched; yellowish, greenish, or bloody discharge; foul smell coming from the cut site; cut site opens up.
- Problems with taking your drugs
- Arm or leg where the catheter was put in changes color, is cool to touch, or is numb
- Bleeding at the catheter site that does not stop, even with pressure
- You are not feeling better in 2 to 3 days or you are feeling worse
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my procedure.
- I can tell you how to care for my cut site.
- I can tell you what I will do if my arm or leg where the catheter was put in changes color or is cool to the touch or numb.
Where can I learn more?
American Heart Association ‚
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HeartAttack/SymptomsDiagnosisofHeartAttack/Cardiac-Catheterization_UCM_451486_Article.jsp ‚
HeartHealthyWomen.Org ‚
http://www.hearthealthywomen.org/tests-diagnosis/featured/cardiac-cath.html ‚
National Heart Lung and Blood Institute ‚
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/cath/ ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
Copyright
Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚