By Carla Carwile
101
A cardiologist explains who gets which tests—and why
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Vim & Vigor • SUM M ER 2 010
Heart Testing
D
o you ever wonder why cardiologists order different diagnostic tests for individuals whose symptoms seem very much the same? A heart specialist on staff at St. Anthony Central Hospital offers these interesting insights.
‘80/10/10’
Ask Robert Henson, M.D., of Rocky Mountain Cardiovascular Associates his starting point for complex cardiac diagnoses and he sketches a simple bar chart, dividing a single column into a large block at the bottom and two small slivers at the top. “About 80 percent of the initial diagnosis comes from talking with the patient. During that five to 10 minutes, your physician is going through a tremendous differential—narrowing the possibilities as more information is offered. The next 10 percent comes from findings from the physical exam.
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Summer 2010