New Cath Lab helps car­di­ol­o­gists diag­nose heart health

Onslow Memorial Hospital (OMH) has expanded its services to include diagnostic coronary (heart) catheter services as part of its new Cath Lab. The expansion of cardiology services is an initiative of the hospital's new clinical collaboration with CarolinaEast. When a cardiologist credentialed with OMH determines that their patient needs a diagnostic cath, the OMH Cath Lab administers the procedure and sends the results to the cardiologist and patient's primary care physician. The new Cath Lab is designed to help assess the presence/severity of coronary artery disease, heart valve problems, heart muscle dysfunction, and congenital heart disease. "This expansion of cardiology services addresses a very critical healthcare need in our community," said Penney Burlingame Deal, DHA, president and CEO of Onslow Memorial Hospital. "It allows patients to get a diagnostic procedure right here at home." For heart patients that require advanced or urgent care, quick access to CarolinaEast resources are immediately available as a result of the clinical partnership. According to the American Heart Association, more than 6.5 million adults in the United States are living with heart failure. The good news is that many heart patients are able to lead full, enjoyable lives when their condition is managed with proper medications or devices, along with healthy lifestyle changes.

About Cardiac Catheterization

Cardiac catheterization (cardiac cath) is an imaging procedure that allows physicians to evaluate heart function. During a cardiac catheterization, a long, narrow tube called a catheter is inserted through a plastic introducer sheath (a short, hollow tube that is inserted into a blood vessel in your leg or arm). The catheter is guided through the blood vessel to the coronary arteries with the aid of a special x-ray machine.