Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) Services
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ECG Services
An electrocardiogram records the electrical signals in your heart. It’s a common test used to detect heart problems and monitor the heart’s status in many situations. Electrocardiograms — also called ECGs or EKGs — are often done in a doctor’s office, a clinic or a hospital room. And they’ve become standard equipment in operating rooms and ambulances.
An ECG is a noninvasive, painless test with quick results. During an ECG, sensors (electrodes) that can detect the electrical activity of your heart are attached to your chest and sometimes your limbs. These sensors are usually left on for just a few minutes.
How it works
Each beat of your heart is triggered by an electrical impulse normally generated from special cells in the upper right chamber of your heart (pacemaker cells). An electrocardiogram records the timing and strength of these signals as they travel through your heart.
An electrocardiogram is also called a 12-lead EKG or 12-lead ECG because it gathers information from 12 different areas of the heart. These views are created by electrodes, typically 10, placed on the skin of your chest and sometimes your limbs. The electrical activity is recorded as waves on a graph, with different patterns corresponding to each electrical phase of your heartbeat.
A standard ECG can record an abnormal heart rhythm only if it happens during the test. Some abnormal heart rhythms come and go, so your doctor may have you undergo a different type of heart rhythm monitoring, such as with a Holter monitor, to help diagnose the cause of your symptoms.