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Ping Howard [OT Medical Question]
Howard, I've been meaning to ask you this for a while but kept forgetting...
A couple of years ago I had an ECG and the doctor said I had a brachial branch blockage. He said it wasn't anything to worry about and made it sound like it was something to do with the medical equipment rather than something wrong with my heart (???). To be positive he had me go for a nuclear stress test and eco-cardiogram. When I went back for the second part of the nuclear stress test they said I didn't even have to have it. That, and the echo-cardiogram, showed that my heart was perfect. So, just what is a brachial branch blockage? Thanks! Hugs, CatNipped |
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In article , "CatNipped"
wrote: Howard, I've been meaning to ask you this for a while but kept forgetting... A couple of years ago I had an ECG and the doctor said I had a brachial branch blockage. He said it wasn't anything to worry about and made it sound like it was something to do with the medical equipment rather than something wrong with my heart (???). To be positive he had me go for a nuclear stress test and eco-cardiogram. When I went back for the second part of the nuclear stress test they said I didn't even have to have it. That, and the echo-cardiogram, showed that my heart was perfect. So, just what is a brachial branch blockage? Thanks! Hugs, CatNipped I'm a little puzzled. Could it have been bundle branch block? That is part of the electrical conduction system of the heart; there's a right and left bundle. Offhand, brachial generally refers to structures in the shoulder that may extend into the neck. The brachial nerve, for example, runs across the top of the shoulder, and is most exposed in a spot called the brachial notch -- which is about the place where Spock did the Vulcan nerve pinch. |
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"Howard C. Berkowitz" wrote in message
... In article , "CatNipped" wrote: Howard, I've been meaning to ask you this for a while but kept forgetting... A couple of years ago I had an ECG and the doctor said I had a brachial branch blockage. He said it wasn't anything to worry about and made it sound like it was something to do with the medical equipment rather than something wrong with my heart (???). To be positive he had me go for a nuclear stress test and eco-cardiogram. When I went back for the second part of the nuclear stress test they said I didn't even have to have it. That, and the echo-cardiogram, showed that my heart was perfect. So, just what is a brachial branch blockage? Thanks! Hugs, CatNipped I'm a little puzzled. Could it have been bundle branch block? That is part of the electrical conduction system of the heart; there's a right and left bundle. Offhand, brachial generally refers to structures in the shoulder that may extend into the neck. The brachial nerve, for example, runs across the top of the shoulder, and is most exposed in a spot called the brachial notch -- which is about the place where Spock did the Vulcan nerve pinch. LOL that's probably it - I just remember it being three "Bs"! ; It was the right side. Hugs, CatNipped |
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In article , "CatNipped"
wrote: "Howard C. Berkowitz" wrote in message ... In article , "CatNipped" wrote: Howard, I've been meaning to ask you this for a while but kept forgetting... A couple of years ago I had an ECG and the doctor said I had a brachial branch blockage. He said it wasn't anything to worry about and made it sound like it was something to do with the medical equipment rather than something wrong with my heart (???). To be positive he had me go for a nuclear stress test and eco-cardiogram. When I went back for the second part of the nuclear stress test they said I didn't even have to have it. That, and the echo-cardiogram, showed that my heart was perfect. So, just what is a brachial branch blockage? Thanks! Hugs, CatNipped I'm a little puzzled. Could it have been bundle branch block? That is part of the electrical conduction system of the heart; there's a right and left bundle. Offhand, brachial generally refers to structures in the shoulder that may extend into the neck. The brachial nerve, for example, runs across the top of the shoulder, and is most exposed in a spot called the brachial notch -- which is about the place where Spock did the Vulcan nerve pinch. LOL that's probably it - I just remember it being three "Bs"! ; It was the right side. Hugs, CatNipped As long as your heart is using some of its backup mechanisms, such that there was adequate stimulation to pump, there's no inherent danger. If a block is causing you to skip beats, that's another matter. Echocardiograms and heart scans don't particularly look for problems in the conduction system of the heart. If there was any diagnostic concern, the next step would be having you wear a Holter monitor -- essentially a 24-hour electrocardiogram. |
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"Howard C. Berkowitz" wrote in message
... In article , "CatNipped" wrote: "Howard C. Berkowitz" wrote in message ... In article , "CatNipped" wrote: Howard, I've been meaning to ask you this for a while but kept forgetting... A couple of years ago I had an ECG and the doctor said I had a brachial branch blockage. He said it wasn't anything to worry about and made it sound like it was something to do with the medical equipment rather than something wrong with my heart (???). To be positive he had me go for a nuclear stress test and eco-cardiogram. When I went back for the second part of the nuclear stress test they said I didn't even have to have it. That, and the echo-cardiogram, showed that my heart was perfect. So, just what is a brachial branch blockage? Thanks! Hugs, CatNipped I'm a little puzzled. Could it have been bundle branch block? That is part of the electrical conduction system of the heart; there's a right and left bundle. Offhand, brachial generally refers to structures in the shoulder that may extend into the neck. The brachial nerve, for example, runs across the top of the shoulder, and is most exposed in a spot called the brachial notch -- which is about the place where Spock did the Vulcan nerve pinch. LOL that's probably it - I just remember it being three "Bs"! ; It was the right side. Hugs, CatNipped As long as your heart is using some of its backup mechanisms, such that there was adequate stimulation to pump, there's no inherent danger. If a block is causing you to skip beats, that's another matter. Echocardiograms and heart scans don't particularly look for problems in the conduction system of the heart. If there was any diagnostic concern, the next step would be having you wear a Holter monitor -- essentially a 24-hour electrocardiogram. Well, there are lots of times when my heart skips beats - sometimes to the point where it makes me dizzy. But I just assumed this happens to everybody since you hear about "heart palpitations" so much. And since I didn't know to associate this with BBB I didn't mention it to my doctor (and why didn't he ask??!) It also usually happens when I'm having bad allergy or asthma problems (my chest will feel tight like I can't get enough air into my lungs - so I assumed that was what caused my heart to skip beats. It doesn't happen on any regular basis, though, so with my luck the Holter monitor* wouldn't show a thing. I thought the nuclear stress test and echocardiogram would have showed something if there was a problem! * Funny this is the first time I'd seen the name written - I'd only heard it before and I thought people were saying "halter" monitor since you wear it like a halter! ; Hugs, CatNipped |
#6
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In article , "CatNipped"
wrote: "Howard C. Berkowitz" wrote in message ... In article , "CatNipped" wrote: "Howard C. Berkowitz" wrote in message m. Well, there are lots of times when my heart skips beats - sometimes to the point where it makes me dizzy. But I just assumed this happens to everybody since you hear about "heart palpitations" so much. And since I didn't know to associate this with BBB I didn't mention it to my doctor (and why didn't he ask??!) It also usually happens when I'm having bad allergy or asthma problems (my chest will feel tight like I can't get enough air into my lungs - so I assumed that was what caused my heart to skip beats. It doesn't happen on any regular basis, though, so with my luck the Holter monitor* wouldn't show a thing. I thought the nuclear stress test and echocardiogram would have showed something if there was a problem! I found a veterinary site with a pretty good description: http://www.lbah.com/heart/heartfindings.htm Understand that ECG interpretation is an art, although we now have pretty good computer interpretation. At one point, I was developing an ECG simulator to test my understanding; this was at the Office of Computer Assisted Education at George Washington Medical School. Yes, I produced the basic patterns. My mentor, an MD-PhD type, took me to the ICU, pointed at a heart monitor, and said: "Tell me what's wrong." I looked at it for a while and said "Can the monitor be broken?" The real-world difficulty in interpreting ECGs is that the textbooks deal with one abnormality at a time, but it's common to have multiple abnormalities superimposed on the display. I'm out of practice -- and it takes a lot -- to read complex ones. * Funny this is the first time I'd seen the name written - I'd only heard it before and I thought people were saying "halter" monitor since you wear it like a halter! ; No, I'm afraid it doesn't quite make it as that fashion accessory -- unless you consider five or so electrodes on the chest as sort of like a chainmail bra. The monitor itself is about the size of a Walkman, and people either use a shoulder strap or attach it to their belts so it hangs at waist level. There's enough cable so that you just stick it under your pillow. |
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