There may be an internal suture and a plug. The patient may be asked to lie flat for several hours to prevent bleeding. A stent could also be inserted during cardiac catheterization which may prolong the procedures.

1. BY: Lisa Brun
Heart ailments are very common now a days. Chest pain is a common indication that
something may be wrong. After that you will have to consult a cardiologist to get your
heart examined. He may refer you to a cardiac unit where a whole lot of necessary tests
are done. This may take even a couple of days. If there is a chance that the doctor
suspects heart ailments( In French insuffisance cardiaque) he may refer you for a
cardiac catheterization which is a procedure done to confirm whether you have a heart
condition or not. Heart murmurs are a common ailment among children and adults. This
may occur due to a variety of reasons. In adults, it may be caused due to age. In children
it may be a birth deficiency. Heart murmur is characterised by a peculiar sound made by
the heart when blood flows through it or in the surrounding tissue. It may be so mild that
it can barely be heard by your doctor with his stethoscope but it can also be so severe
that the murmur can be heard with the stethoscope off the chest.
Heart Disease and Cardiac Catheterization
Cardiac catheterization (In French maladie cardio) is the insertion of a catheter into a
chamber of the heart. This is done either for investigating or intervening. Local
anaesthetic is injected either in the arm or groin to make the area numb. Usually, the
groin is preferred. A puncture is made with a needle in the femur artery of the groin. A
guide wire is then inserted into the arterial puncture. A plastic sheath is covered over the
wire which is then guided into the artery. The wire is removed and the plastic sheath is
punctured so that the arterial blood flows back. It is then flushed with saline. This
arterial sheath acts as a conduit as long as the procedure is being done. Catheters are
moved towards the heart. When it is in position over the aortic valve, the guide wire is
removed. X ray opaque iodine based contrast is injected. This helps the vessels to show
up on the x ray image. When the procedure is complete, the catheter is removed. Then
pressure is applied either manually or with a machine to prevent further bleeding. There
may be an internal suture and a plug. The patient may be asked to lie flat for several
hours to prevent bleeding. A stent could also be inserted during cardiac catheterization
which may prolong the procedures.

2. Cardiomyopathy is a heart muscle disease which actually refers to the malfunctioning of
the myocardium. It happens when the heart cannot pump blood the way it should due to
some kind of heart dysfunctions(In French attaque cardiaque). The heart muscle
becomes enlarged, thick or rigid. In some rare cases the muscle in the heart is replaced
with scar tissue. It is not easy to detect this disease. Actually, this term ‘cardiomyopathy’
refers to a disease of the myocardium but actually it means having a severe myocardial
disease leading to heart failure resulting in death.
Signs and symptoms
The signs and symptoms of the disease are quite common. There may be chest pain. If
the disease is mild there may be no symptoms but if the disease is severe, there will be
chest pain. This disease may cause fluid to build up in the lungs, or in the legs. It may
cause abnormal heart rhythms or inflammation of the lining of the heart.
Treatment
Treatment depends on the type of cardiomyopathy(In French cardiaque symptome) the
person is suffering from. Accordingly, it could be cured with medication, implanting
pacemakers or ventricular assist devices. Some people get no relief in spite of the initial
treatment being done. They only feel better when the surgery is done. The objective of
this kind of treatment is to give symptom relief. Ultimately, the person will need a heart
transplant. Stem cell therapy may be also used to cure this problem. However, stem cell
therapy has not been proved scientifically. Patients who have this disease must change
their lifestyle and become more physically active.
Common Causes
• The use of alcohol and drugs like cocaine
• Chemotherapy drugs
• Coronary artery disease
• End stage kidney disease

3. • High blood pressure
• Infections due to viruses like HIV
• Pregnancy
• Nutritional deficiencies
Outlook
The outlook depends on many factors. These include:
• The type and severity of the disease
• How well you respond to the treatment
• How severe the heart problem is
• Angina
• Eating high salt foods
• Heart attack
• Infections or other illnesses
• Not taking your medicine correctly
Heart failure is a long drawn out, chronic disease. It may get worse with time. Severe
heart dysfunctions like this are a problem for patients throughout their lives. Surgery and
other medications may cease to help after a point of time.
For more information visit
http://www.santurel.eu/be_fr/