When it involves your heart, minutes count. Whether it’s chest pain or congestive heart failure, you need to know what you’re dealing with—and the sooner the better.

That’s why the healthcare professionals at DMH are excited to offer two new blood tests. Thanks to these innovative procedures, you can know sooner and start treatment faster.

Identifying a heart attack

Referred to as a Cardiac Marker, this test measures certain biochemical markers in your blood. These specific markers can help determine whether or not you have had a heart attack.

"DMH is the first hospital in the area to perform this test at the point of care—in the Emergency Care Center," says David Johnson, MD, Medical Director, DMH Laboratory.

By determining if certain cardiac markers are elevated in your blood, health care professionals can diagnose a heart attack and start treatment faster.

Identifying congestive heart failure

BNP—or B-type natriuretic peptide—is a cardiac neurohormone secreted by the heart in response to congestive heart failure.

An elevated BNP level can indicate and diagnose congestive heart failure. The BNP can help physicians differentiate between congestive heart failure and other non-cardiac causes of fatigue or shortness of breath. The BNP test can also be used to monitor the effectiveness of the treatment. The BNP is available in the Emergency Care Center and in the Laboratory at DMH.

Both the Cardiac Marker test and the BNP can be performed within 20—25 minutes after the blood sample is collected.

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