Cardiopulmonary Services 685-5470
The Cardiopulmonary Services Department at MMC is made up of two distinct but related groups.
The Respiratory Care group provides emergency airway management and ventilatory support for
critically ill patients in the Emergency Department and the ICU. Hemodynamic monitoring of the
pressures in the heart chambers and pulmonary vessels is done in the ICU and Operating Room.
The Respiratory Therapists provide breathing treatments, devices and education for persons with
asthma, emphysema, pneumonia, influenza, RSV, and other lung conditions for inpatients and
outpatients of all ages. Finally they monitor and assist patients after surgery to prevent postoperative
pulmonary complications.
The Cardiac and Pulmonary diagnostics group provides a wide variety of testing. Three types of
cardiac stress tests are offered in order to detect coronary artery disease before it causes a permanent
loss of heart muscle from a heart attack. There is a type of stress test for persons of all levels of fitness
including those that cannot walk at all. There are heart monitors that patients take home and wear
from one to 30 days to help determine why they are experiencing palpitations, chest pain, dizziness,
sudden loss of consciousness, shortness of breath, etc. The monitors are small, portable, and easily
worn during daily activities.
A new Pulmonary Function Lab permits the testing and early detection of a wide variety of lung
diseases including asthma, emphysema, and lung disease resulting from environmental and
occupational irritants as well as smoking. There are small portable monitors to be used at home to
monitor blood pressure and blood oxygen levels while pursuing normal activities away from the
hospital or clinic setting.
Ambulatory pH monitoring is used to detect esophageal reflux for persons experiencing heart
burn, chronic throat soreness or hoarseness, or pressure and fullness in the upper chest and throat.
Finally Electroencephalograms are performed for persons with possible seizure activity, headaches,
black outs, head trauma, staring or absence spells in children, and evaluating the patient's response to
medication.
A physician's order is needed for inpatient and outpatient procedures.
