Electro­cardiogram

Your doctor might request an electrocardiogram to:

• Check the heart’s electrical activity.
• Determine the cause of unexplained chest pain such as: heart attack, inflammation of the heart or angina.
• Finds the cause of your symptoms such as: chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, fainting or rapid irregular heartbeats (palpitations).
• Determine if the walls of the heart chambers are too thick (hypertrophied).
• Determine if you have had a heart attack in the past.
• Help predict if there are any blockages in your arteries.
• Monitor changes in your heart rhythm.

You can eat normally and take your medications, at their usual times, before the test.  We recommend patients:

• Avoid caffeine 4 hours before the test including: tea, coffee, decaffeinated products, chocolate, soft drinks or medications containing caffeine.
• Avoid smoking right before the test.
• Do not apply any lotions, creams, or powders to the chest area prior to the appointment.
• Wear comfortable clothing. You will be asked to remove upper clothing and any jewellery then change into a hospital gown before the test.

1. Electrodes (stickers) are attached to your skin.
2. Wires are attached to the electrode’s sticker.
3. A computer records your hearts’ electrical signals and displays it as waves on paper.
4. The resulting ECG is interpreted by a doctor (internist, family physician, cardiologist and/or surgeon).