1. Electrocardiography (ECG):It is the recording of the electrical activity of the heart on paper. It is an extremely easy diagnostic examination and the patient does not feel any pain during recording. It is used in the diagnosis of congenital or acquired heart diseases and especially in the evaluation of rhythm disorders.
2. Heart x-ray (telecardiogram = TELE): It can provide information about heart size and shadow, enlargement of some heart cavities, blood supply of the lung and vascular shadows, lung, spine, rib cage bones, and intra-abdominal organ placement. However, due to the radiation effect and increased access to echocardiography, its use has decreased, especially in heart evaluations in children.
3. Echocardiography (ECHO): It is a fast, harmless test that uses ultrasound (supersonic) waves and provides important information about the heart. Echocardiography is used to evaluate the structure (anatomy) of the heart, the contraction (function) of the heart and any structural disorders (stenosis in the heart valves and large vessels and insufficiencies in the valves). During echocardiographic examination, M-mode (one-dimensional) ECHO, 2-dimensional ECHO, 3-dimensional ECHO, Doppler and color Doppler methods and, if necessary, contrast ECHO can be applied by administering fluid through a vascular access. Different techniques can be used for the diagnosis of the patient, such as transthoracic ECHO, fetal ECHO, transesophageal ECHO, intravascular ECHO and stress ECHO.
4. Stress tests: By stressing the heart with exercise or medications, the severity and symptoms of heart disease are evaluated, the effectiveness of the treatments given is reviewed, and the necessity of further interventions can be determined.
5. Long-term ECG recording: These are tests used to determine the frequency and severity of arrhythmia, to reveal the relationship between arrhythmia and the patient's complaints, and to evaluate the effectiveness of arrhythmia treatment. While Holter monitoring records the entire heart rhythm within 24-72 hours, instant recorders only record instantly when an arrhythmia attack occurs over a period of more than 30 days. Placed under the skin of the upper left breast The installed recorders are operated during the attack and can record for up to 14 months.
6. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring: In ordinary blood pressure measurements, only instantaneous results are obtained. However, in this technique, many blood pressure measurements are taken during the patient's normal daily life, during sleep (every 30-60 minutes) and while awake (every 20 minutes). Thus, hypertension diagnosis, follow-up, effectiveness of medications used, and hypertension-related heart damage can be better evaluated.
7. Tilt table test: It is a test used to distinguish the type of fainting in children with normal heart evaluation and frequently recurring or atypical fainting attacks. The patient's blood pressure and heart rate are recorded in a horizontal position, and then the table with the child lying on it is brought to a partially upright position at an angle of 60-80°. In this position, the patient's blood pressure and heart rate are monitored every 5 minutes for 45 minutes.
8. Cardiac catheterization and angiocardiography: It is the final diagnostic test for most heart patients. Children are put to sleep and catheters are advanced to the heart through the veins entered in the groin.
9. Non-surgical, therapeutic, interventional catheterization procedures:
• Balloon or blade atrial septostomy: It is the procedure of creating a wide opening between the atria of the heart and can be used in babies with severe congenital heart disease manifested by bruising.
• Balloon valvuloplasty: It is the process of tearing open the narrow valve with an inflated balloon, used for stenosis of the pulmonary artery (lung artery) valve, aortic valve, mitral valves or valves with conduits (surgically attached vascular structure).
• Balloon angioplasty and/or stent placement: It is the process of widening the narrowed vessel part with an inflated balloon and/or placing an intravascular stent in the expanded part, which can be used in cases of aortic coarctation, stenosis of the branches of the pulmonary artery (lung artery) or stenosis of the main veins.
• Closure of holes or vascular structures: ASD (interauricular hole), PDA (vascular opening between the aorta and pulmonary artery), VSD (interventricular hole), collaterals (excessive vascular structures), systemic artery-vein fistulas, pulmonary artery-vein fistulas.
• Electrophysiological study and burning process: Certain rhythm disorders that cause palpitations in children can be diagnosed definitively through studies performed during cardiac catheterization and appropriate It is the process of eliminating the source of patients' arrhythmia by using hot or cold burning methods.
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