SVMC cardiology

 

 

STRIVING TO IMPROVE YOUR LIFE ONE BEAT AT A TIME

You get one life and you get one heart. The board-certified cardiologists and associated practitioners at SVMC Cardiology are committed to helping you make the most of both.

Our patient-centered approach to care and personalized care plans maximize your quality of life while delivering the treatment you need when you need it.

Creating the appropriate treatment plan for your condition begins with a cardiac consultation. Your consultation is a chance for you to share your health history and current concerns with your cardiologist. All necessary exams and tests are conducted on-site by your cardiac care team. The results are shared and discussed directly with you so that you fully understand your condition, treatment options, associated risks, and potential lifestyle changes.

After a heart episode or surgery, there’s nothing our cardiac team and you want more than for you to just get back on your feet and live the life you want. That’s why we begin your rehabilitation program before you even leave the hospital. Through a combination of education and exercise, your personalized program will help you build strength and reduce your risk factors. Using the full range of cardio equipment in our Cardiac Rehab Center and under the watchful eye of our rehab team, you’ll improve your heart’s strength and capacity and get closer to resuming a full and active lifestyle. For more information about Cardiac Rehabilitation, click here.

In order to understand how well your heart is or isn’t functioning, an echocardiogram may be performed. This non-invasive procedure uses sound waves to produce images of your heart. Both of SVMC’s cardiologists are board certified in echocardiography and able to observe how your heart is pumping and identify any abnormalities in the heart muscle or valves. An echocardiogram allows our team to make the most informed and appropriate recommendations for the next steps in your care.

If a standard echocardiogram does not provide a clear image of your heart, your SVMC care team may recommend a transesophageal echocardiogram or TEE. Performed at the hospital, this procedure involves inserting a flexible tube containing a transducer down your throat and into your esophagus. From this closer vantage point, the transducer then uses sound waves to create more detailed images of your heart and allows for better diagnosis.

Before we treat your heart, we need understand how it’s performing. At SVMC we offer a number of non-invasive stress tests that can quickly and easily reveal a number of things including: how well your heart works during increasing levels of activity; how certain medications are impacting blood flow; the effectiveness of procedures done to improve heart performance; and more.

If you have risk factors for heart disease, calcium scoring may may help you learn more about whether you are actually at risk. The non-invasive test uses high-speed CT imaging technology to measure the hardening of the heart’s arteries, a leading indicator of heart disease and heart attacks. Visit the calcium scoring page for complete details. 

A pacemaker is one of the most effective ways to ensure a heart maintains a steady, healthy beat. The SVMC cardiac team is exceptionally skilled and experienced at both pacemaker implantation and monitoring. Considered a minor surgery, implantation takes place at the hospital with most patients returning to normal activity (and a more steadily beating heart) within a few days. Like all medical equipment, pacemakers need a little TLC every now and then. At SVMC our cardiac team can perform routine monitoring, both remotely and in the office, and reprogramming as needed.

One of the most common cardiac diagnostic tools, an EKG is a painless way to check for problems with the electrical activity of your heart. The EKG translates and records your heart’s electrical activity over a period of time and translates it into waves. Your SVMC care provider can use printouts of the waves to detect any patterns that might point to a specific condition and put together a treatment plan that meets your specific needs.

Should your SVMC cardiac care provider want to monitor your heart over a longer period of time than is practical for a standard EKG, you may be given a Holter or event monitor. Worn outside the body and completely painless, monitors are helpful in detecting abnormalities that only happen occasionally and can help your doctor link any abnormalities to specific activities or events in your day.

Carotid ultrasound
At SVMC our goal is to treat your health issues before they become problems. Using our sophisticated carotid ultrasound test, your cardiac care provider can detect blockages in your neck arteries that could lead to a stroke or indicate problems in other parts or your circulatory system.

Education
Because understanding what causes heart problems is essential to resolving them, we offer a variety of educational resources to patients and their families.  Workshops are offered on an ongoing basis throughout the Dartmouth-Hitchcock network, and condition-specific literature is available in our offices. 

SVMC Cardiac Rehab

SVMC Pulmonology

American Heart Association 

Go Red for Women 

American College of Cardiology 

140 Hospital Drive, Suite 211, Bennington, VT 05201
Phone: (802) 442-0800
Fax: (833) 343-1597

Hours:
Monday – Friday:  8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Directions: 
For directions to SVMC Cardiology, click here. 

Parking:
For appointments at SVMC Cardiology, park in parking area P3 or P5.

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    Figuring Out Fevers in Kids
    Grace Weatherby
    / Categories: WELLNESS, 2024

    Figuring Out Fevers in Kids

    Few things make a parent feel more helpless than when their child has a fever. The good news is most fevers are harmless. In fact, they’re a signal that your child’s immune system is working to fight infection. Nonetheless, it can be distressing when your child is unwell. There are so many questions: How high a fever is too high? What medication—if any—should I give them? When should I call a doctor?

    Before we dive into those questions, let’s explore what a fever is and how to recognize it.

    To begin with, a fever is not an illness. Rather, it’s a symptom of an illness. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), a body temperature at or above 100.4F in children qualifies as a fever. Besides temperature, other common signs of fever-inducing illnesses include: being unusually tired or fussy; feeling warm to the touch; red cheeks; sweating, shivering, and chills; loss of appetite; and glassy eyes. 

    While your first instinct may be to reach for medication, it’s important to note that medication should only be given if your child is uncomfortable. If your child is over three months old and is alert and smiling, participating in play, isn’t flush with color, and drinking well, you should hold off on medicating.

    If you do decide to medicate, use the correct dose of child-specific acetaminophen or ibuprofen. If your child is under two years of age and you do not have dosage information available, contact your pediatrician or pharmacist.

    Other steps you can take to help manage a fever include:

    • Provide lots of fluids. Fever will cause children to lose fluids more quickly than when they are well, so offer plenty of fluids including water, diluted juices, or electrolyte solutions (Pedialyte) to avoid dehydration (if over 6 months of age only).
    • Don’t overdress your child. Dress them in a single layer of light, breathable clothing and provide one light blanket or a sheet if they experience chills.
    • Keep them cool. If your child is warm, use a cool compress on their head and keep their room at a normal, comfortable temperature.
    • Medicate for discomfort. Medication should only be given if your child is uncomfortable. Use child-specific acetaminophen or ibuprofen, taking care to dose correctly. If your child is under two years of age, contact your pediatrician or pharmacist for the correct dose if you do not have it available. 
    • Do not to give your child more than one medication containing acetaminophen, such as some cough and cold medicines, and avoid giving aspirin to children or teenagers. No cough or cold medicines are recommended for under 6 years old.

    Fortunately, most fevers and illnesses pass on their own without the need for medical intervention. However, if your child shows any of the following signs along with a fever, you should contact their doctor:

    • appears unusually drowsy or fussy or continues to "act sick" once the fever is brought down
    • child seems to be getting worse
    • has a stiff neck, severe headache, severe sore throat, severe ear pain, or repeated vomiting or diarrhea
    • an unexplained rash
    • pain while peeing
    • signs of dehydration, such as dry mouth, a sunken soft spot
    • is unable to take in fluids
    • has a seizure
    • is under 3 months and has a temperature of 100.4F or higher

    Other reasons to reach out for medical advice include:

    • a fever that lasts for more than 24-48 hours in a child younger than 2 years.
    • a fever that lasts for more than 3 days (72 hours) in a child of any age.

    Of course, you know your child best. If they are acting ill in ways that concern you—even without a fever—don’t hesitate to contact their doctor for advice.

     

    Meghan Gunn, MD, FAAP, is board-certified in Pediatrics and is the Medical Director of SVMC Pediatrics.

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