Heart Check ECG

Heart Check

An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a medical test that detects cardiac (heart) abnormalities by measuring the electrical activity generated by the heart as it contracts. The machine that records the patient’s ECG is called an electrocardiograph.

Some of the various heart problems that can be diagnosed by ECG include:

• Enlargement of the heart
• Congenital heart defects involving the conducting (electrical) system
• Abnormal rhythm (arrhythmia) – rapid, slow or irregular heart beats
• Damage to the heart such as when one of the heart’s arteries is blocked (coronary occlusion)
• Poor blood supply to the heart
• Abnormal position of the heart
• Heart inflammation – pericarditis or myocarditis
• Cardiac arrest during emergency room or intensive care monitoring
• Disturbances of the heart’s conducting system
• Imbalances in the blood chemicals (electrolytes) that control heart activity.

A person with heart disease may have a normal ECG result if the condition does not cause a disturbance in the electrical activity of the heart. Other diagnostic methods may be recommended if heart disease is suspected.

Medical Centres