For patients

What to bring

• Your ID card.
• A referral (form MZ-NZOK No. 3) from your GP – if you are being seen under the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).
• Previous medical records – discharge summaries, ECGs, echocardiograms and test results.
• A list of the medicines you take, with their doses. You can also bring the packs.
• Home blood pressure readings, if you have them – noted with the date and time.

How to prepare

For a cardiology consultation

• Wear comfortable clothes, ideally a separate top (blouse or shirt), so that the examination and ECG are easier.
• Take your medicines as usual unless your doctor has told you otherwise.
• Write down your symptoms in advance – what they are, how long you have had them and when they occur – so nothing important is missed.

For echocardiography

• No special preparation is needed – you can eat and take your medicines as usual.
• The scan is done while you lie down; the doctor places an ultrasound probe with gel on your chest. Comfortable clothing with a separate top makes it easier.
• If you have previous heart ultrasound reports, bring them for comparison.

For a Holter ECG monitor

Before it is fitted:

• Have a shower before you come – the device must not get wet while you wear it.
• Do not apply creams or lotions to your chest, so the electrodes stick well.
• Wear loose clothing with a separate top.

While you are wearing it:

• Go about your normal day – the aim is to record how your heart works during your usual activities.
• Keep the device and electrodes dry – no bathing, swimming or sauna.
• Do not switch off or open the device, and do not pull on the cables or electrodes.
• Keep a diary: note the time and what you were doing whenever you have symptoms (palpitations, pain, dizziness), as well as key moments of the day – sleep, physical exertion, taking medicines.
• If an electrode comes loose, press it back on and mention it when you return the device.
• Return the device on the agreed day and time.

For 24-hour blood pressure Holter monitoring

Before it is fitted:

• Wear a top with loose sleeves or no sleeves – the cuff goes on your bare upper arm and must sit comfortably under your clothing.
• Have a shower before you come – the device must not get wet while you wear it.
• Take your medicines as usual unless your doctor has told you otherwise, and bring your medication list.

While you are wearing it:

• Go about your normal day – the aim is to see your blood pressure during your usual activities.
• When you feel the cuff start to inflate, stop, let your arm hang relaxed by your side and do not talk until the measurement is finished. If you are walking, stand still if you can.
• Do not remove or shift the cuff. If it has moved, put it back in the same place.
• Keep the device dry – no bathing, swimming or sauna.
• Make sure the tube does not get kinked, especially while you sleep.
• Avoid strenuous exercise unless your doctor has told you otherwise.
• Keep a diary: note when you slept, when you took your medicines, when you were physically active and when you had symptoms (headache, dizziness, palpitations).
• Return the device on the agreed day and time.

When NOT to wait for an appointment – call 112

A cardiology practice is not an emergency service. Call 112 immediately if you or someone with you has:

• severe, crushing or prolonged chest pain, especially if it spreads to the arm, neck, jaw or back;
• sudden severe shortness of breath, or breathlessness at rest;
• loss of consciousness or fainting;
• a very fast or very slow pulse together with weakness, dizziness or blacking out;
• sudden weakness or numbness of an arm or leg, a drooping face or slurred speech.