About EKG

An electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) is a device that records the electrical activity of the heart. The heart generates very small electrical impulses that spread through the heart muscle making it contract. It is the irregularities in these impulses that an EKG detects.

Your Brooklyn Cardiologist will place small pads on your chest, arms and legs. These pads detect the tiny electrical changes that are generated within the heart. The pads are connected to a special recording machine with leads that relay the heart rate and heart rhythm to the machine. The machine detects the signals coming through, amplifies them and prints them out on a special paper or a computer. The entire procedure is painless and takes between 5- 10 minutes.

 EKG Testing Brooklyn, NY

The results of the EKG will help your heart doctor in Brooklyn to diagnose:

  • Abnormal heart rhythms that will produce and irregular pattern that will vary from the characteristic EKG pattern
  • Poor blood flow to the heart muscle
  • A myocardial infarction that may have occurred in the past
  • An enlarged heart that will result in bigger impulses than normal

When you come in for your EKG test it is useful to:

  • Avoid the use of any creams or lotions for up to one day before the test as these may interfere with electrode-skin contact
  • Wear loose fitting pants or avoid full length pants as some electrodes will have to be placed on the legs
  • Wear a shirt/blouse that will allow leads to be easily placed on the chest

It is important to note that a normal EKG does not necessarily rule out the possibility of any abnormalities. For example, in some patients irregular heartbeats do not occur all the time. It is possible in such cases that the heart is beating regularly during the test and therefore the output is normal. For this reason you may be required to undergo other cardiology tests at your Brooklyn cardiology center.

Frequently Asked Questions – EKG Brooklyn, NY