Which invasive procedure involves inserting a catheter into the heart to assess blood flow and pressures?

• A. Chest X-ray
• B. Cardiac catheterization
• C. Colonoscopy
• D. Biopsy

Answer: (B)

Cardiac catheterization is the invasive procedure used to assess heart function by inserting a catheter into the heart to measure pressures and examine blood flow. A thin catheter is threaded through a blood vessel into the heart chambers and pulmonary artery, allowing direct pressure measurements and, with contrast, visualization of the coronary arteries to evaluate blood flow. This approach provides precise hemodynamic data and can diagnose conditions like coronary artery disease, heart valve problems, and pulmonary hypertension.

Other options don’t fit because chest X-ray is a noninvasive imaging test that shows structures rather than measuring intracardiac pressures; colonoscopy examines the colon, and biopsy collects tissue samples.