Local Cardiopulmonary Diagnostics
- Winter 2025
Brookings Health System’s new cardiac ultrasound system is designed specifically to diagnose heart disease, providing photorealistic transthoracic echocardiograms. The system has improved penetration and resolution to help in cardiac assessments. 3D ultrasound images show enhanced views of the heart’s anatomy and more accurately measure left ventricular chamber dimensions, volume and ejection fraction as well as valve function.
The new system also gives Brookings Health strain technology, an ultrasound method that measures and analyzes myocardial deformation. It shows how the heart muscle contracts, relaxes and moves.
Strain especially helps identify subtle myocardial dysfunction before it is evident on conventional imaging, making it useful to diagnose conditions like cardiomyopathy, chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity and heart failure. Applications of strain technology include:
- Myocardial strain measurement provides the percentage of deformation of heart muscle during the cardiac cycle, providing information on how the much the muscle shortens or lengthens.
- Speckle-tracking echocardiography tracks natural acoustic markers in the myocardium. This helps for precise measurement of strain in longitudinal, radial and circumferential directions.
- Global longitudinal strain assesses overall heart muscle function, especially for early detection of subclinical left ventricular dysfunction.
Strain technology provides real-time analysis with high-resolution images, helping clinicians to make fast and accurate diagnostic decisions. It enhances diagnostic precision and provides more detailed evaluation of cardiac function, particularly for patients with suspected or confirmed heart disease.
Echocardiography paired with a nuclear stress test creates a more comprehensive picture of the patient’s heart. Knowing the heart’s structure and function as well as visualizing blockages can determine if the patient has coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathy, arrhythmia, congestive heart failure, heart valve disease or another condition. Diagnosis can then lead to treatment and therapies to help local patients in the Brookings area.
Referring a Patient
To refer a patient for either an echocardiogram or a nuclear stress test at Brookings Health System, please fax the order to Central Scheduling at (605) 696-8889. You may also send a scanned, signed order to BHSCentralScheduling@brookingshealth.org. Please make sure to include the patient’s name, date of birth, phone number, diagnosis, insurance authorization, physician signature and type of scan. Ordering questions can be directed to Central Scheduling at (605) 696-8888.
For more information:
Nicole Winseman, CNMT, CHT
Director of Imaging and Respiratory Services
(605) 696-8057
nwinseman@brookingshealth.org