Among the Algerian doctors the most consulted in Algeria, cardiologists. Cardiologists are doctors specialists who diagnose, assess and treat patients with diseases and defects of the heart and blood vessels (the cardiovascular system).

This article provides useful information on the nature of the job, common procedures / interventions, sub-specialties, and other roles that may be of interest to you.

Nature of the work of the Algerian Cardiologist

Cardiologists work with adult patients - pediatric cardiology is a separate specialty.    

Cardiologists take care of patients with conditions such as:

• angina (chest pain caused by narrowing of the coronary arteries)
• arrhythmias, for example atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat)
• heart murmurs due to heart valve disease
• cardiomyopathy (disease of the heart muscle) with heart failure, including lung failure
• edema (fluid build-up)
• coronary artery thrombosis or myocardial infarction (heart attack) often associated with high blood pressure (hypertension) and high cholesterol
• diseases of the arteries (atherosclerosis, arteritis, atheroma)
• heart hole and other forms of congenital heart disease in adulthood, including the transition from pediatric care to shared care for pregnant women with heart disease

Much of the emphasis is on improving survival rates and quality of life after a heart attack, heart failure, or cardiac arrhythmias; but cardiologists are also interested in understanding disease processes and disease prevention.

The specialty is at the forefront of new therapies and technologies, with often necessary emergency treatments. It also includes end-of-life palliative care due to heart disease.

Algerian cardiologists, Common procedures and interventions

Cardiologists work with adult patients - pediatric cardiology is a separate specialty.

Cardiologists take care of patients with conditions such as:

• angina (chest pain caused by narrowing of the coronary arteries)
• arrhythmias, for example atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat)
• heart murmurs due to heart valve disease
• cardiomyopathy (disease of the heart muscle) with heart failure, including lung failure
• edema (fluid build-up)
• coronary artery thrombosis or myocardial infarction (heart attack) often associated with high blood pressure (hypertension) and high cholesterol
• diseases of the arteries (atherosclerosis, arteritis, atheroma)
• heart hole and other forms of congenital heart disease in adulthood, including the transition from pediatric care to shared care of pregnant women with heart disease

Much of the emphasis is on improving survival rates and quality of life after a heart attack, heart failure, or cardiac arrhythmias; but cardiologists are also interested in understanding disease processes and disease prevention.

The specialty is at the forefront of new therapies and technologies, with often necessary emergency treatments. It also includes end-of-life palliative care due to heart disease.

Sub-specialties

The CCT subspecialty is:

Stroke medicine

However, very few cardiologists choose stroke medicine as a subspecialty. A few cardiologists pursue unselected medical care, but most focus on emergency cardiology on call. This development is part of the abandonment of the model of the solitary general cardiologist in favor of a more team-based sub-specialization approach.

Most cardiologists develop subspecialty interests such as:

• interventional cardiology
• adult congenital heart disease
• cardiac imaging
• electrophysiology, including ablation
• therapy with electrical devices
• heart failure, including heart transplants and support devices

A significant proportion of cardiologists specialize in or continue to be involved in academic cardiology, which allows for the continued advancement of scientific knowledge and therapeutic options in the cardiovascular field.

There are also a growing number of new areas of sub-specialization, such as hereditary heart disease, cardio-oncology, and interventional valve therapy.

Source: healthcareers.nhs.uk