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Chest X-ray is particularly useful for patients with COPD-related and other pulmonary diseases. Also, it can detect cardiac abnormalities like cardiomegaly, which requires further evaluation.
2/6
ECG is a non-invasive, easy-to-perform, yet highly profitable test. It gives an idea of the electrical activity of the heart and aids in identifying cardiac arrhythmias, electrolyte abnormalities, as well as previous myocardial infarctions. Usually, it is done close to the date of surgery. Abnormality detected in ECG will lead to further investigations.
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It is also a non-invasive test in which imaging of the heart is performed on patients with existing valvular heart diseases. This test can assess ejection fraction that implies cardiac output and ventricular wall function.
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However, some cardiac pathologies come to light only when the heart is under stress. For such conditions, a stress ECG or stress echocardiogram can be performed by allowing the patient to exercise on a treadmill. Then it is compared with the baseline findings. Even if the patient cannot walk on a treadmill, you can do a dobutamine stress echocardiogram(DSE). This is because intravenous administration of dobutamine mimics the effects of exercise on the heart. Therefore, stress tests are more accurate in diagnosing the heart's underlying blockages.
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Patients having arrhythmias are on pacemakers. They should have been assessed for their disease three months before the surgery. If there are any corrections, they should be done before the surgery.
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Haematological tests are essential to get a general idea of the patient's fitness, although not directly related to cardiac fitness. For example, a full blood count(FBC) can rule out any ongoing infections, anaemia, polycythemia, and other related conditions. In addition, coagulation studies combined with FBC can discover the presence of any coagulopathies as they can predispose the patient to excessive blood loss. HbA1c is another blood test that gives an idea about the patient’s overall glycemic control, which predisposes them to coronary artery disease.
