Cardiac Care

Cardiac Care

The tool to see electrical activity of the heart...

What is ECG ?

An electrocardiogram (ECG / EKG) is recording of the electrical activity of the heart and is used to diagnose abnormal rhythm and insult to the heart due to lack of blood supply. ECG is the best non invasive, safe, painless and quick tool to identify abnormal rhythm and damaged heart muscle. 12 leads ECG graph is recorded on the paper or can be seen live on a screen. Doctor can read and interpret the ECG and can guide for further line of management. Normal ECG can’t absolutely rule out abnormalities of heart.

Why Is It Done?

Find the cause of unexplained chest pain which could be due to cardiac reason (heart attack, ischemia, inflammation of the heart muscle or sac surrounding the heart (Pericarditis)) or non cardiac reason. Find the cause of shortness of breath, dizziness & fainting. Find the cause of palpitations. Find the toxicity of certain medicines like Digoxin / chemotherapy. Diagnose the electrolyte imbalance. Check the health of the heart when other diseases or conditions are present, such as high blood pressure / high cholesterol / smoking / diabetes. Screening of the heart in v/o family history of certain heart disease. Screening of the heart prior to surgery / as a part of complete body check up. Diagnose suspected congenital Heart Disease

What information can be gained from the ECG?

From the ECG tracing, the following information can be determined:

Heart rate

Rhythm of the heart

Conduction abnormalities of the heart (abnormalities of spreading of electrical impulse across the heart)

Lack of blood supply to the heart muscle (To diagnose possibility of Coronary Artery Disease)

To diagnose Acute Myocardial Infarction (Heart attack)

To diagnose old Heart attack

To diagnose thickened heart muscle / Enlarged Heart chambers

To diagnose effect of Hypertension or abnormal Lipid profile on the heart

Who will carry out my electrocardiogram?

Electrocardiogram is usually carried out by trained Technician in lying down position at comfortable place. It is usually done in the hospital or at clinic of GP. It is interpreted by a qualified trained doctor.

Is there anything I need to do before an ECG (electrocardiogram)?

If you are having a resting ECG, there is no need to do anything different before having the test. You can avoid eating a meal or drinking a caffeinated drink for two hours before the test as these can affect your heart’s rhythm (not absolute). If you are wearing any metal things in hands or wearing woollen clothes, remove it prior to this test. If Patient is having too much hair on the chest and causing noise in recording, you might have to shave the chest.