What is ECG?

ECG is short for Electrocardiogram. It is a test done routinely for people 40 years old and above. It is also done to individuals suffering from chest pain in order to rule out cardiac etiology. It is used to note for presence of heart enlargement (hypertrophy), position of heart chambers, and for the presence of decrease or loss of blood supply to the heart (ischemia or infarction). The heart rate as well as the regularity of heart beat ( rhythm) can also be noted.

Some patients come to our clinic and ask for an ECG without even knowing what its indications are. Some are afraid to be subjected because they think it is painful. Others think that it is like having blood chemistries where breakfast should be skipped. Well, it is a no to all this thinking.

How is it done? The individual is asked to remove his shirt (for males only), all jewelries, belt, socks, and shoes. We only ask female patients to loosen their bra for easy placement of leads. The leads are to be position on the chest, arms, and legs (photo above) but before doing this the areas must first be cleansed. When ready, the patient is then asked to stay still while the recording is being done on a graph paper. That's it! It's absolutely painless. The result will then be read by your doctor and will be explained to you in just a few minutes.