The nurse will explain to the client is
the catheterization will visualize the disease process in the coronary arteries.
A cardiac catheterization delivers information on how well a heart
works, recognizes problems and allows for procedures to open blocked
arteries.
For example, during cardiac catheterization your doctor may:
Gather
up samples of blood to measure the oxygen content in the four chambers of
your heart.
Take X-rays using
contrast dye injected over the catheter to look for narrowed or blocked
coronary arteries. This is known as coronary arteriography or coronary
angiography.
Assess
the ability of the pumping chambers to contract.
Look
for deficiencies in the valves or chambers of your heart.
Execute
a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) such as coronary
angioplasty with stenting to open up narrowed or blocked segments of
a coronary artery.
Check
the compression in the four chambers of your heart.
Remove
a small piece of heart tissue to examine under a microscope (biopsy).
