Tests

Tests you may have following your stroke

Type of testPurpose of the testHow the test is done
Blood testsTo learn if there is anything in your blood to test for any abnormalities.Blood is taken from your arm and studied in the lab.
Carotid DopplerHelps recognize if there is a plaque build up narrowing your arteries and effecting blood flow.Uses ultrasound to listen to the flow of your blood through your arteries.
ECG/EKG (Electrocardiogram)Records the electrical activity in the heart.Sticky pads are placed on your body and these pads have sensors, which detects the electrical activity of your heart.
Holter MonitorLooks at abnormal heart rhythms.It is a portable ECG and monitors your heart rhythm for a longer period of time.
EchocardiogramDetermine if there is a heart condition and detects if blood clots are forming in your heart.Uses ultrasound waves to create a picture of your heart.
TEE (Trans-esophageal Echocardiogram)Produces a picture of your heart and detects if your heart is producing blood clots.Uses ultrasound waves to look at the structures of the heart. It is done by inserting a tube into the esophagus. You will be sedated for this test.
CT Scan (Computerized Tomography)Done to identify conditions in the brain.You lay down in a scanner that takes picture of your brain using x-rays.
MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)Used to visualize the brain to identify conditions.You lay still in a scanner and it uses magnetic field and radio waves to produce a 3 dimensional picture of the brain.
CTA (CT Angiography)Visualizes blood flow in the arteries to detect any blockage or narrowing of the arteries.Makes a 3 dimensional picture of the area using x-rays.
MRA (Magnetic Resonance Angiography)Visualizes blood flow in the arteries to detect any blocking or narrowing of the arteries.You lay still in a scanner and it uses magnetic field and radio waves to take pictures of the blood vessels.
Video Fluoroscopy or Modified Barium Swallow Study or Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallow (FEES)Helps identify if you are at risk of food or drink entering your lungs (aspiration).X-ray is to capture moving images of the food you are swallowing as it travels.

Acknowledgement

The Central South Regional Stroke Network would like to acknowledge the Central South Regional Stroke Network Patient and Family Advisory Council, The Central South Regional Stroke Passport Working Group, Hamilton Health Sciences, our hospital and community stroke service provider partners, and the Heart and Stroke Foundation for their contributions to the development of this website.

Disclaimer

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The information contained in this website is by no means a complete listing of the programs or services available. The Central South Regional Stroke Network does not endorse or support the information contained within the links to external sites, nor can we assume responsibility for the accuracy of the information. The mention of products and services should not be assumed to be an endorsement of any kind.