ECG

Dr D A Ware · Dr G V Price · Dr J A Crane · Dr G A Preest· Dr O Thomas

It sounds painful, what is it? It's not at all painful and it stands for Electrocardiogram.

How is it done? It is performed by attaching (usually sticking) a number of leads to the surface of the skin across the chest and limbs.

How long does it take? As long as it takes for the nurse to attach the leads! Usually less than 15 minutes.

Are you sure that it doesn't hurt? Yes!

What happens next? The nurse attaches the leads to a special machine that records the electrical activity of the heart.

Will I get an electric shock? No. This test simply measures the activity of the heart.

What does it tell you? A great deal or nothing at all. It may tell us if you have an abnormal heart rhythm, abnormal heart size, if you've had a heart attack in the past or even if you're having a heart attack at the time. It may give clues that there may be heart valve disease and many more conditions.

So if it's normal, then my heart is OK? No, not necessarily. A normal ECG is reassuring, but it does not necessarily preclude underlying disease. Not all heart attacks are obvious on ECG and not all heart disease will show up on ECG. It is simply a means of helping your Doctor fit together your symptoms and the findings on examination. Like all tests, though, it is not infallable.

I've been getting palpitations, but not when I had the ECG? This is a common problem. Palpitations are common symptoms in General Practice and many people are sent for ECG. The ECG may be useful even if you haven't got your palpitations at the time. Better still is a 24 hour ECG - this is a portable version that you wear for a 24 hour period. If you get your palpitations, there is facility to highlight this (usually by pressing a button) so that the machine can record what your heart is doing at the time. Unfortunately, we do not have a 24 hour machine at the surgery and this test is only performed at present by the Doctors at the hospital.

Can an ECG show if I have angina? It can, but usually if you're actually having angina at the time the ECG is being done. At the hospital, the Doctors may wish to test if you have angina by arranging an exercise test or "ETT". This is done by putting you on a treadmill and making you walk faster and faster in a set pattern while you are connected to an ECG machine. If this provokes an attack of chest pain, the ECG may reveal that this pain is angina.

The information contained on this site is general information which is not in any way intended to replace the specific advice that patients may obtain from their own doctor about individual care.