Working Life: A patient is admitted with Broken Heart Syndrome, a rare condition

Dr Angie Brown, Irish Heart Foundation (IHF) medical director and consultant cardiologist at the Bon Secours Hospital, Glasnevin

Dr Angie Brown, Medical Director, Irish Heart Foundation. Picture: Maura Hickey

6.30am

Most people hate Mondays, but It’s my favourite day. As soon as the collie and cats are fed, I head to the Bon Secours Hospital, near my home in Glasnevin.

7.30am

The first thing on the list is a TOE (transoesophageal echocardiogram), putting a tube down the oesophagus, which lies next to the patient’s heart. It produces very clear pictures making it easier to spot any infections on the heart valves.

8.30am

To investigate patients with chest pain or breathlessness, I perform coronary angiograms. This procedure used to be done from the groin but we now do it via the radial artery in the arm. We can exclude any blockages or narrowing of the coronary arteries that may account for the patient’s symptoms by injecting dye directly into the arteries.

11am

A patient returns for removal of an Internal Loop Recorder, a tiny device implanted under his skin three years ago after an unexplained collapse. It records if the heart beats too fast, or too slowly which can cause dizziness. I remove the device as the patient is doing very well.

Dr Angie Brown

Noon

I discuss patients’ results and plan follow-up procedures. Over a working lunch, I write up reports on Holter (heart) monitors, blood pressure monitors and echocardiograms and send them off to the referring doctors.

2pm

I report on CT angiograms, a non-invasive test that combines a CT scan with an injection of dye to produce images of the heart and blood vessels.

3pm

I check on inpatients and do consults. One involves a patient admitted with Takotsubo or Broken Heart Syndrome, a rare condition brought on by severe stress where the heart suddenly becomes weakened and there is ‘apical ballooning’, but which usually resolves itself in a few months.

6pm

I have an IHF heart failure council meeting. We are planning a heart failure awareness week and how to further improve and expand our heart failure patient support services.

7.30pm

Time to train for the Irish Heart Foundation ‘5K love run’. The walk or run can be completed in your community on February 12 or 13. To sign up see:  irishheart.ie