Aortic stenosis part two: Diagnostic testing, evaluation and management

This is the second of two articles that will examine the common valvular heart disease condition–aortic stenosis. The first article explored the pathophysiology, causes, history and clinical examination of this condition. This article will focus on the common diagnostic tests that are used to confirm the diagnosis, including the assessment of the severity of the disease and how these tests guide further patient management. The valvular heart disease guidelines from the European Society of Cardiology (Vahanian et al, 2007) and the American Heart Association /American College of Cardiology (Bonow et al, 2006) will be used as evidence. The diagnostic tests that will be explored are the electrocardiogram, chest X-ray, echocardiography, exercise testing, angiography and medical therapy.