Electrocardiogram
This is the most commonly performed heart test to look at the electrical activity of the heart at rest. The healthy heart has a very characteristic electrical tracing and changes from this normal pattern may reflect disease states, previous heart attack, lack of blood flow to the heart, heart enlargement, abnormalities of the heart rhythm, and many congenital conditions. An ECG is often done on each visit to monitor serial changes in the hearts condition that may not be apparent on talking to the patient or on examination.
How is an ECG done?
Twelve ECG electrodes are placed over the chest wall, both ankles and both wrists. The chest may need to be prepared with gentle rubbing of the skin to ensure good contact. The ECG electrodes are then attached to the ECG machine and a recording is made and printed out. This process may take as little as 2-5 minutes. The procedure is entirely painless.