EKG question

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Had a routine EKG at the docs office a couple months ago......

I thought the purpose of it was to evaluate the rthyms of the heart.

However, talking to the tech while she was setting up, she said it could also determine if you have a blockage.

Really!? I asked her and I know her answer made sense at the time, but I wasn't 100% paying attention ( you know how it is when they've got you hooked up and you're lying on that really comfortable table) :wink:

Does anyone know how the EKG can determine this?

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I never realized myself just how much information the EKG gives a doctor!

Quote:

Electrocardiogram
An Electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG) records the electrical activity of the heart from the surface of the chest using electrodes placed on each arm and leg and six placed on the chest. These electrodes are connected by wires to an EKG machine. 12 different tracings are produced and this is called a 12 lead EKG. Each tracing gives a view of the heart from a different angle. The 12 leads of an EKG are called I, II, III, aVR, aVL, aVF, and V1, V2, V3, V4, V5, and V6. Depending on which EKG lead is involved, your physician can tell during a heart attack which part of the heart it is occurring in. Then, based on his knowledge of anatomy, he can determine which artery is blocked.
The EKG gives the physician information about :

heart rate
heart rhythm
adequacy of blood supply to the heart
presence of a heart attack
enlargement of the heart
inflammation around the heart (pericarditis)
effects of drugs and electrolytes on the heart

http://health.howstuffworks.com/heart-diagnosis1.htm

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EKG question

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