EKG or Electrocardiogram |
Electrocardiogram, EKG
or ECG: An EKG is an important part of the
initial evaluation of a patient who is suspected to
have a heart related problem. Small sticky electrodes
are applied to the patient's chest, arms and legs.
However, with some systems, the electrodes may be
applied to the chest, shoulders and the sides of the
lower chest, or hips . Wires are used to connect the
patient to an EKG machine. You will be asked to remain
very still while a nurse or technician records the
EKG. The electrical activity created by the patient's
heart is processed by the EKG machine and then printed
on a special graph paper. This is then interpreted
by your physician. It takes a few minutes to apply
the EKG electrodes, and one minute to make the actual
recording.
The EKG can provide important information about the patient's heart rhythm, a previous heart attack, increased thickness of heart muscle, signs of decreased oxygen delivery to the heart, and problems with conduction of the electrical current from one portion of the heart to another. For example, the EKG tracing shown above demonstrates an acute or ongoing heart attack involving the bottom (or inferior portion of the heart). An example of an EKG of a patient with a heart attack is shown below.
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