Early Advanced Care

Cardiac Arrest Test brought to you by Heart Squad, Inc.

Citizen Safety Institute introduces the Heart Squad, Inc., Cardiac Arrest Test to determine your risk of cardiac arrest. The test is non-invasive and takes about ten minutes. We have portable testing units which can come to your workplace to test ten or more people, or you can find a location below if you have a smaller group.

What is the Heart Squad Cardiac Arrest Test?
The Heart Squad Cardiac Arrest Test measures your hearts electrical patterns. It measures Microvolt T-Wave Alternans a very subtle alternating pattern in the electrocardiogram (ECG). The T-wave is a normal section of the ECG that occurs slightly after each heartbeat, indicating repolarization. If the T-wave varies in an alternating (AB-AB-AB) pattern, that is known as Microvolt T-Wave Alternans (TWA). TWA is associated with a variety of conditions, including ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard Medical School has shown Microvolt T-Wave Alternans to be far more prevalent than previously thought, although often too small to be visibly apparent on a standard ECG. Heart Squad's Cardiac Arrest Test makes use of specially designed high-resolution electrodes with the sensitivity needed to detect minute Microvolt T-Wave Alternans-pattern shifts as small as one millionth of a volt.

What is the difference between a Cardiac Arrest Test and the traditional stress test?
The exercise stress test monitors your heart, breathing, blood pressure and the basic "plumbing" of the heart but, by itself, does not detect "electrical" activity that can predict risk for ventricular arrhythmia. The Cardiac Arrest Test is an adjunctive enhancement to the exercise stress test, yielding detection of abnormal but exceptionally minute electrical impulses that are predictors of risk for sudden cardiac death.

What happens if my test shows positive for the risk of a cardiac arrest?
If your Cardiac Arrest Test shows a presence of Microvolt T-Wave Alternans, your doctor may wish to perform other diagnostic tests to evaluate the presence and extent of any underlying heart disease. If significant heart disease is present and after it has been aggressively treated and it is determined that you are still at risk of arrhythmia, then electrophysiology testing may be the next step. Patients with a positive EP result are often considered appropriate candidates for an implantable cardioverter defibrillator or drug therapy.

Maybe the more important result of the test however, is if the test results prove to be 'negative.' Studies show that 'negative' results mean that you will not have a cardiac arrest in the next 12 months.

Will insurance pay for the Cardiac Arrest Test?
If your physician prescribes the test, insurance can be billed.

How do I know if I should have a Cardiac Arrest Test?
Appropriate candidates for the Cardiac Arrest Test are most likely to be patients with certain documented heart conditions and/or those who exhibit symptoms which may be associated with ventricular arrhythmia such as syncope (fainting), lightheadedness or palpitations. The insurance codes pay various amounts for the Test for people with risk of cardiac arrest Cardiac risk factors are Stress, Cholesterol, Blood Pressure, Smoking, Diabetes, Depression, Obesity, Your Race, and Your Sex. Symptoms and conditions suggesting a beneficial role for the Cardiac Arrest Test include coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, unexplained syncope (fainting) and palpitations.

Where can I get a Cardiac Arrest Test?
The Heart Squad Cardiac Arrest Test has only recently been cleared for commercial use following over six years of comprehensive clinical trials. Below are the Citizen Safety Institute locations where you can or will be able to take the Test, please click here to send and e-mail requesting the phone number and address of the location closest to you. Please include your address and phone number in the body of the e-mail.