At the Hospital General de Enfermedades, the Cardiology Service is led by Dr. Steven Gil, who took over at the beginning of 2025. The team also includes six specialists and clinical electrophysiology technician Alma Judith Vidal de Juárez, who has worked at Instituto Guatemalteco de Seguridad Social (IGSS) for 35 years and has been part of the cardiology service for two decades.
Dr. Gil is a cardiologist with 11 years of experience at IGSS in the same hospital. According to Alma Judith Vidal, affectionately known as "seño Almita," when the service began it only had an electrocardiograph. Over time, more equipment was added such as Holter monitors, ambulatory blood pressure monitors, echocardiography devices, and now a stress test system. The department has expanded from two clinics to a larger team and more physical space.
Vidal has acquired expertise in operating the department's medical equipment because previously there were no nursing staff assigned to assist specialists. Auxiliary nurse Aura Loaiza supports by preparing patients and equipment for evaluations. The main responsibilities of the cardiology staff are diagnosing and treating cardiovascular diseases for adult inpatients.
Cardiology has seen significant progress with sub-specialties like echocardiography, hemodynamics, and electrophysiology now available. Dr. Gil noted that since 2022 new echocardiography equipment has been obtained: "This is a great advantage because we can now perform echocardiographic studies within the hospital without needing to refer patients out for contracted services; this has helped speed up care times, early diagnosis, and treatment for our affiliates."
The primary tests conducted include 24-hour cardiac Holter monitoring, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring over 24 hours, advanced echocardiography exams, and stress tests. Common cases treated are acute myocardial infarction, coronary artery disease, heart failure patients, infectious heart diseases such as endocarditis secondary to vascular access infections, and difficult-to-manage arterial hypertension.
The cardiology team continues to grow due to increasing demand for heart-related care. Dr. Gil emphasized that most cardiovascular diseases can be prevented by adopting healthy habits: "Thirty minutes of daily exercise such as walking or light jogging; eating low-carbohydrate and low-salt foods; following a Mediterranean diet based on fish, white meats, legumes and seeds; plus not smoking all contribute to caring for our vital organ."
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