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ECG, EKG
WHAT IS IT?
An electrocardiogram, also called an EKG or ECG, is a simple test that detects and records the electrical
activity of the heart. It is used to detect and locate the source of heart problems. An EKG shows how fast the
heart is beating. It shows the heart’s rhythm (steady or irregular) and where in the body the heartbeat is being
recorded. It also records the strength and timing of the electrical signals as they pass through each part of the
heart.
BASIC FACTS
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An electrocardiogram (EKG) is a test that detects and records the electrical activity of the heart.
EKGs are used to evaluate signs and symptoms that could indicate heart problems.
Many heart problems change the electrical “signature” of the heart in distinct ways. EKG recordings of
this electrical signature can help reveal these heart problems.
During an EKG, electrical signals in the heart are detected by electrodes placed on the skin. A
machine records them on graph paper or displays them on a screen.
An EKG is painless and harmless, and usually takes about 10 minutes to complete.
Special EKG tests are done to detect certain kinds of heart symptoms, such as those that are present
for only a few minutes out of the day, or that happen only while a person is exercising.
WHAT EKG REVEALS
Many heart problems change the electrical signature of the heart in distinct ways. EKG recordings of this
electrical activity can help reveal a number of heart problems, including:
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Heart attack
Lack of blood flow to the heart muscle
A heart that is beating irregularly, or too fast or too slow
A heart that does not pump forcefully enough
EKG recordings can help doctors diagnose a heart attack that is happening now or has happened in the past.
This is especially true if doctors can compare a current EKG recording to an older one. EKG recordings can
also reveal:
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Heart muscle that is too thick or parts of the heart that are too big
Birth defects in the heart
Disease in the heart valves between the different heart chambers
An EKG also reveals whether the heartbeat starts at the top right part of the heart like it should. It shows how
long it takes for the electrical signals to travel through the heart.
WHY IS AN ELECTROCARDIOGRAM DONE?
An electrocardiogram (EKG) is done to evaluate signs and symptoms that could indicate heart problems. Some
of the signs and symptoms that might be evaluated with an EKG include:
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Chest pain
Heart pounding, racing, or fluttering, or the sense that your heart is beating unevenly
Difficulty breathing
Feeling tired and weak (fatigue)
Unusual heart sounds when the doctor listens to your heartbeat
When an adult—usually someone who is older than 40 or 50 years of age—has a routine health exam, the
doctor may order an EKG to screen for early heart disease that has no symptoms. The doctor is more likely to
look for early heart disease if the person has a family history of heart disease in a mother, father, brother, or
sister—especially if the heart disease developed early in those family members’ lives.
Doctors also use EKGs to check how well heart treatments, such as drugs or medical devices, are working.
WHAT HAPPENS DURING AN ELECTROCARDIOGRAM?
An electrocardiogram (EKG) is painless and harmless. A technician first attaches 12 soft patches called
electrodes to the skin of the chest, arms, and legs. These electrodes are about the size of a quarter. To help an
electrode stick to the skin, the technician may have to shave a patch of hair where the electrode will be
attached.
After the electrodes are placed on the skin, the patient lies still on a table for a few minutes while the electrodes
detect the electrical signals of the heart. A machine then records these signals on graph paper or displays them
on a screen.
The entire test takes about 10 minutes. After the test, the electrodes are removed from the skin and discarded.
SPECIAL EKGS
The common EKG described above, called a resting 12-lead EKG, records only a few minutes of heart signals
at a time. It will show a heart problem only if the problem is present during the few minutes that the test is being
run. Many heart problems are present all the time and will be found by a resting 12-lead EKG. But some heart
problems, like those related to irregular heartbeat, can come and go. They may be present for only a few
minutes out of the day or only while exercising.
Special types of EKGs are used to help diagnose those kinds of problems. Three of these special EKGs are:
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Stress test
Holter monitor
Event monitor