What initial testing are performed on patients whose hearts may have been harmed by covid 19 virus ?
The tests start with an ultrasound of the heart, known as an echocardiogram, as well as some sort of heart rhythm monitoring to look for concerning rhythm issues, especially if a patient is experiencing palpitations or lightheadedness.
What we look for on the heart ultrasound is whether the heart’s pumping function has been damaged. One of the things noticed early in the pandemic was the presence of inflammation of the heart muscle, which could even progress to problems with the heart muscle’s function, so keep an eye out for those types of issues.
Evidence of an abnormality of the right side of the heart, can happen if you have a lung injury or a blood clot in the lungs, both of which people with COVID-19 often have.