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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffWhether you first see your family doctor or get emergency care, you'll likely be referred to a heart specialist (cardiologist) for one or more appointments for a complete diagnostic assessment.
If possible, bring along a family member or friend who can give some moral support and help you keep track of new information. Because there may be a lot of ground to cover, it will be helpful to prepare as much as possible.
What you can do
Make a list ahead of time that you can share with your doctor. Your list should include:
- Symptoms you've experienced, including any that may seem unrelated to your heart
- Key personal information, including any major stresses or recent life changes
- Medications, including vitamins or supplements
- Questions to ask your doctor
List your questions from most important to least important in case time runs out. Basic questions to ask your doctor include:
- What is likely causing my fast heart rate?
- What kinds of tests do I need?
- What is the best course of action?
- What kind of risks does my heart condition create?
- How will we monitor my heart?
- How often will I need follow-up appointments?
- How will other conditions I have or medications I take affect my heart problem?
- Do I need to restrict my activities?
- Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can take home with me? What Web sites do you recommend visiting?
In addition to the questions that you've prepared to ask your doctor, don't hesitate to ask questions during your appointment at any time that you don't understand something.
What to expect from your doctor
Your doctor is likely to ask you a number of questions. Being ready to answer them may reserve time to go over any points you want to spend more time on. Your doctor may ask:
- When did you first begin experiencing symptoms?
- How often have you had episodes of a fast heartbeat?
- How long have the episodes lasted?
- Does anything — exercise, stress, caffeine — seem to trigger or worsen episodes?
- Do you smoke?
- How much alcohol or caffeine do you consume?
- Do you use recreational drugs?
- Are you being treated for high blood pressure, high cholesterol or other conditions that may affect your circulatory system?
- What medications do you take for these conditions, and do you take them as prescribed?
- Mitchell LB. Arrhythmias and conduction disorders: Introduction. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec07/ch075/ch075a.html. Accessed April 19, 2009.
- Olgin JE, et al. Specific arrhythmias: Diagnosis and treatment. In: Libby P, et al., eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=aboutPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-4106-1..X5001-8--TOP&isbn=978-1-4160-4106-1&uniq=134565520#lpState=open&lpTab=contentsTab&content=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-4106-1..50038-8%3Bfrom%3Dtoc%3Btype%3DbookPage%3Bisbn%3D978-1-4160-4106-1. Accessed April 19, 2009.
- Ventricular tachycardia. American Heart Association. http://americanheart.org/print_presenter.jhtml?identifier=3062877. Accessed April 22, 2009.
- Atrial or supraventricular tachycardia. American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3062868. Accessed April 18, 2009.
- Mitchell LB. Atrial fibrillation (AF). The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec07/ch075/ch075e.html. Accessed April 20, 2009.
- Mitchell LB. Ventricular tachycardia (VT). The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec07/ch075/ch075k.html. Accessed April 20, 2009.
- Mitchell LB. Reentrant supraventricular tachycardias (SVT, PSVT). The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec07/ch075/ch075g.html. Accessed April 20, 2009.
- Mitchell LB. Ventricular fibrillation. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec07/ch075/ch075m.html. Accessed April 20, 2009.
- Hebbar AK, et al. Management of common arrhythmias: Part I. Supraventricular arrhythmias. American Family Physician. 2002;65:2479.
- Hebbar AK, et al. Management of common arrhythmias: Part II. Ventricular arrhythmias and arrhythmias in special populations. American Family Physician. 2002;65:2491.
- Mitchell LB. Atrial flutter. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec07/ch075/ch075f.html. Accessed April 20, 2009.
- What are Holter, event and transtelephonic monitors? American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3005149. Accessed Jan. 15, 2009.
- Calkins H. Supraventricular tachycardia: AV nodal reentry and Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. In: Fuster V, et al., eds. Hurst's The Heart. 12th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3050545. Accessed April 19, 2009.
- Prystowsky EN, et al. Approach to the patient with cardiac arrhythmias: Introduction. In: Fuster V, et al., eds. Hurst's The Heart. 12th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3048673. Accessed April 20, 2009.
- Delacretaz E. Supraventricular tachycardia. New England Journal of Medicine. 2006;354:1039.
- Prystowsky EN, et al. Atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, and atrial tachycardia: Introduction. In: Fuster V, et al., eds. Hurst's The Heart. 12th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3048772. Accessed April 20, 2009.
- Grogan M (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. April 29, 2009.
