Concord Hospital offers a range of services to accurately diagnose cardiac conditions. The tests are performed at the hospital, usually on an outpatient basis, in a dedicated diagnostic suite.

The Concord Hospital Cardiopulmonary Department provides the following diagnostic testing and therapeutic services:

Electrocardiogram (EKG): a test that records the electrical activity of the heart and shows abnormal rhythms and detects heart-muscle damage.

Cardiac catheterization: a procedure in which a board-certified interventional cardiologist threads a catheter—a long thin hollow tube—up through the femoral artery, starting at the groin, to just outside the aortic valve in the heart. That is where the coronary arteries arise, which bring oxygenated blood to the heart. The catheter injects dye into the arteries and pictures of the heart appear on the monitor. The test makes it possible for the physician to view blockages in the arteries and to calculate the extent of the blockage.

Holter monitor: a small, portable, battery-powered EKG machine worn by a patient to record heart beats on tape over a period of 24 to 48 hours during normal activities. At the end of the time period, the tape is read and evaluated by a cardiologist.

Cardiac and vascular ultrasound: a non-invasive procedure that uses sound waves to examine the blood vessels in order to determine if there are areas of dilatation, narrowing or blockage.

Cardiac stress testing: a test that is given while a patient walks on a treadmill to monitor the heart during exercise. Pulse and blood pressure rates are also monitored. A stress test can be used to detect coronary artery disease.

Hospital Contact

Ph: (603) 227-7000 ext. 3994