Among its many possible causes are arrhythmias , illness, exercise, stress, or excitement. The EKGs are transmitted via radio waves to a central monitoring point.
Patients can therefore walk around while still being monitored.
TEST A thallium stress test may be done at rest, or follow the same procedure as a graded exercise test , with an intravenous injection of a low dose of radioactive material at peak exercise. This is immediately followed by a scan of the heart to visualize areas of the heart that do not receive sufficient blood supply. A comparative scan will be done four hours later to note any changes at rest. These drugs are intended to break up a thrombus , thereby allowing blood to reach the heart muscle. In thrombolytic therapy, medication is given intravenously to dissolve the blood clot causing the heart attack.