An EKG, also called an ECG, is a diagnostic tool used to measure electrical activity in a person’s heart. The EKG measures the electrical waves of the heart and converts them to line tracings on special EKG paper. Reasons for a Physician to order an EKG vary widely depending on the patient:
• To measure electrical activity of the heart
• To find the cause on unexplained chest pain -this is most often due to angina, pericarditis, or heart attack.
• To find the cause of symptoms of heart disease like- chest pain, difficulty breathing, fainting or irregular heartbeats.
• To see if the heart’s chambers are to thick (hypertrophied)
• To see how well medicines are working and whether or not they have side effects that affect the heart
• To see how well mechanical devices in the heart are working like a pacemaker
• To check the condition of the heart when other diseases or conditions are present
The procedure for an EKG is as follows:
The patient will be asked to remove all metal form the waist up and have the option of donning a paper vest with the opening to the front. When ready, the patient will lay facing up on a table or bed. The medical assistant will then attach sticky electrodes to the chest and extremities. Next, the healthcare professional will attach clips that are connected to wires, which are connected to the EKG machine. Once everything has been placed the healthcare professional will instruct the patient to be very still and not speak during the EKG. The EKG is painless and only takes a moment to complete. The line tracings will be interpreted by the Doctor and a diagnosis will be made based on the findings.
Source:http://ping.fm/Newh4
No comments:
Post a Comment