EKG

An EKG, Electrocardiogram, or ECG, is an important part of the initial evaluation of a patient who is suspected to have a heart related problem.

How an EKG is Performed

Small sticky electrodes are applied to the patient's chest, arms and legs, or with some systems, the chest, shoulders and the sides of the lower chest, or hips. Wires are used to connect the patient to an EKG machine, which records the heart’s electrical activity. The patient is asked to remain very still while a nurse or technician records the EKG. The electrical activity is processed by the EKG machine and then printed on a special graph paper. This is then interpreted by the physician. It takes a few minutes to apply the EKG electrodes, and only one minute to make the actual recording.

The EKG is extremely safe and there is minimal risk. In rare cases, some people may develop skin irritation from the electrode adhesive, but no serious allergic reactions have been reported.

The only preparation for an EKG is clothing that allows easy access to the chest. Thus, a shirt with buttons down the front is the most practical. Once a patient arrives at the doctor's office or hospital, his or her chest may be cleansed with alcohol to ensure good electrical contact with the EKG electrode. Men with hairy chests may have small areas shaved to allow adequate skin contact with the electrode. This avoids interfering artifacts from being recorded on the EKG, and produces a technically satisfactory study.

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.

It is important to remember that EKGs are not 100% accurate. Normal recordings can be obtained in patients with significant heart disease, or some "abnormalities" may exist in the presence of a healthy heart.