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HOW IS AN ECG TAKEN?
You will need to remove your clothing from the waist up and lie on your back.
Electrodes or metal plates with conductive jelly are attached to your wrists and ankles, and six metallic cup electrodes are attached to your chest with suction bulbs.
The recording of the ECG takes a few minutes during which time you should attempt to keep still. You will feel nothing at this time.
At the end of the recording, the electrodes are removed and the jelly wiped off.
WHAT INFORMATION DOES THE DOCTOR GET FROM THE ECG?
Although it appears to be just a simple test, an ECG gives an enormous amount of information to your doctor. By analysing the ECG the doctor can determine :
if any part of your heart is receiving less blood supply
whether you have suffered a heart attack in the past and if part of your heart muscle is damaged
if the muscle of your heart is thickened (as can occur if you have high blood pressure)
whether any part of your heart is enlarged
if the valves of your heart are normal
whether you have "holes" in your heart
if the rhythm of your heart is normal, or irregular (i.e., if any arrhythmias are present)
the effect of certain medications on your heart
whether the composition of salts (electrolytes) in your body is normal about the status of the envelope around the heart (pericardium), whether it is inflamed, or if there is fluid within the pericardium.
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Cardio & Blood