Exams and Tests
If your doctor suspects that you have atrial fibrillation that comes and goes, he or she may ask you to use a device to record your heart rhythm for a while. This is referred to by several names, including Reference ambulatory electrocardiogram, ambulatory EKG, Holter monitoring, 24-hour EKG, and cardiac event monitoring.
Other tests your doctor may recommend include:
- Reference Electrophysiology (EP) study. This test can help your doctor see if there is a problem with your heartbeat (heart rhythm) and find out how to fix it.
- Reference Exercise electrocardiogram. Also called a stress test, this test will help your doctor see whether you have coronary artery disease.
- Reference Echocardiogram. This test can show whether your Reference heart valves Opens New Window are damaged, how well your heart is pumping, and whether you have heart failure or have had a heart attack.
- A blood test to check for Reference hyperthyroidism Opens New Window.
- Reference Prothrombin time. If you take Reference warfarin (such as Coumadin) you will need to have this type of blood test regularly to check how long it takes for your blood to clot.
|By:||Reference Healthwise Staff||Last Revised: Reference May 9, 2012|
|Medical Review:||Reference E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine
Reference John M. Miller, MD, FACC - Cardiology, Electrophysiology