An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a test that checks for problems with the electrical
activity of your heart. An EKG translates the heart's electrical activity into
line tracings on paper. The spikes and dips in the line tracings are called
waves.
The heart is a muscular pump made up of four chambers. The two upper chambers
are called atrium, and the two lower chambers are called ventricles. A natural
electrical system causes the heart muscle to contract and pump blood through the
heart to the lungs and the rest of the body.
An electrocardiogram(ECG) is a test that measures the electrical signals that
control heart rhythm. It is called a 12-lead ECG because it examines the
electrical activity of the heart from 12 points of view. This is necessary
because no single point (or even 2 or 3 points of view) provides a complete
picture of what is going on. The test measures how electrical impulses move
through the heart muscle as it contracts and relaxes.
An electrocardiogram (ECG)is done to.
Check the heart's electrical activity.
Find the cause of unexplained chest pain, which could be caused by a heart attack, inflammation of the sac surrounding the heart (pericarditis), or angina.
Find the cause of symptoms of heart disease, such as shortness of breath, dizziness, fainting, or rapid, irregular heartbeats (palpitations).
Find out if the walls of the heart chambers are too thick (hypertrophied)
Check how well medicines are working and whether they are causing side effects that affect the heart.
Check how well mechanical devices that are implanted in the heart, such as pacemakers, are working to control a normal heartbeat.
Check the health of the heart when other diseases or conditions are present, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cigarette smoking, diabetes, or a family history of early heart disease.
A patient generally lies on an examination table, and 10 electrodes (or leads) are attached to the arms, legs, and chest of the patient. The electrodes detect the electrical impulses generated by the heart, and transmit them to the ECG machine. The ECG machine produces a graph (the ECG tracing) of those cardiac electrical impulses. The electrodes are then removed. The test takes less than 5 minutes to perform.
This test is used to determine if blood reaches the heart muscle
from coronary arteries. Radioisotopes are radioactive elements
like Cardiolite or Thallium. This test is combined with exercise
stress test on the treadmill or a bicycle. This is to gently
tire the heart and detect disease, which cannot be detected
without exercise. In case the patient cannot walk, medicines are
used to make the heart beat faster and put it under stress.
When the patient is near the highest target exercise, a very
small amount of radioisotope is injected into the blood stream.
The patient lies on scanning table which has a special camera on
top. The camera detects whether radioisotope passes from the
blood vessels to the heart muscle. This information is converted
into images.
If after exercise, the heart muscle tissue does not receive
enough radioisotopes, it means that part of the heart has less
than adequate blood supply.
This result is recorded as images. This is then compared to the
images of the heart at rest (without exercise). The two series
of images are compared by the cardiologist to determine if the
heart muscle has deficient blood supply.
2D Echocardiography or 2D Echo of heart is a test in which
ultrasound technique is used to take pictures of heart. It
displays a cross sectional ‘slice’ of the beating heart, showing
chambers, valves and the major blood vessels of
heart.
‘Doppler’ is a special element of this ultrasound exam
that assesses flow of blood in the heart.
Patient is made to change in a front open robe and a colourless
gel is applied to the chest area. Then he is asked to lay on his
left side as the technician moves the transducer across the
various parts of his chest to get specific/desired views of the
heart.
Instructions may also be given to the patient to breathe slowly
or to hold it. This helps in getting superior quality pictures.
The images are viewed on the monitor and recorded on paper,
video or DVD. The cardiologist later reviews and interprets the
recordings.
Echocardiography is a significant tool in providing the physician important information about heart on the following:
Size of the chambers, volume and the thickness of the walls
Pumping function, if it is normal or reduced to a mild/severe degree
Valve function - structure, thickness and movement of heart’s valves
Volume status as low blood pressure may occur as a result of poor heart function
Pericardial effusion (fluid in the pericardium - the sac that surrounds the heart), congenital heart disease, blood clots or tumours, abnormal elevation of pressure within the lungs etc
A brief exam in normal case may be done within 15-20 minutes. However, when there are heart problems, it may take much longer.
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