Can an ecg show an incorrect result. Analysis of defects admitted during ecg examination

Defects encountered in the work of teams, as a rule, are due to poor knowledge of the subject. These are either purely technical defects, the origin of which is caused by insufficient knowledge of the entrusted equipment, or poor familiarity with electrocardiography itself as a diagnostic tool.

As practice shows, the most common errors of a technical nature are: incorrect gluing of a cut electrocardiogram, or “upside down”, or the order of the leads is violated, or when cutting, the P wave of the first complex or the T wave of the last complex is not preserved (it’s the same as “cutting alive”), as a result of which these complexes become inferior and cannot participate in the diagnostic process.

The same-named elements of the complexes should be pasted "under each other": Q, R, S, and T of the next lead under the same-named teeth of the previous one, etc. This will give the electrocardiogram a neat look and make it easier to assess the regularity of the rhythm or arrhythmia. The following figure (Fig. 11A) shows what it looks like with interchanged limb electrodes. About that "confusion in the minds"

inexperienced workers is a fairly common phenomenon, says the following example. A few years ago, exactly such an electrocardiogram threw a young doctor of the linear team into confusion, who, having arrived at the patient and recorded the electrocardiogram, mistook it for a heart attack and called the cardiological team. (Again, the ECG was prioritized over the clinic.) The doctor was sure that he was right and did not even ask about the final diagnosis. What was his surprise when, four days later, he again gets the same call, and finds the patient at home. Its new Diagnosis, -a; m. A brief medical report on the disease and the patient's condition, made on the basis of an anamnesis and a comprehensive examination. From Greek. — recognition, diagnostics, and; and. 1. A set of techniques and methods, including instrumental and laboratory ones, that allow to recognize the disease and establish a diagnosis. From Greek. - able to recognize. 2. Diagnosis, dialysis, -a; m. peritoneal dialysis. A method for correcting water-electrolyte and acid-base balance and removing toxic substances from the body with the introduction of a dialyzing solution into the abdominal cavity.

Further, single extrasystoles present on the uncut tape should not be discarded, nor should the millivolt record. By negligence, by inattention (out of ignorance!) the colors of the electrodes were mixed up, as a result of which the Electrocardiogram, -s; and. Graphical recording of the bioelectrical activity of the heart, taken from various pairs of points on the surface of the body (on the arms, legs and chest), obtained using an electrocardiograph; term proposed by Dutch. physiologist W. Einthoven in 1893.

I recall a case when a cardiological team arrived at a patient who already had a friend of his, a well-known professor in the city. Relatives (medical workers) showed the professor the previous electrocardiogram, previously recorded by the ambulance, on which, among other indicators, the PQ interval was measured “in good faith” (the patient had atrial fibrillation), to which the professor remarked with slight irony: “This is an ambulance. Service equipped with special equipment and transport, providing emergency medical care; in large cities, its teams are usually profiled (cardiological, psychiatric, toxicological and others). Syn..: emergency.

Why does confusion occur when gluing leads, especially standard ones? One of the reasons - Roman numerals I, II, III - do not change their meaning when pasted correctly or upside down. From the very beginning of the work of the cardiology team, in order to avoid such errors, it was decided to sign the leads below the image of the electrocardiogram. And it would be nice to observe this rule even now. In modern devices, which are becoming more and more, leads are signed automatically and nothing can be changed here. Therefore, the only thing that can be advised in this situation is to stick not mechanically, but with knowledge of the matter. You need to know that the P and T waves cannot be negative in the same lead (except for a V R), PQ cannot be below the isoline, etc. And for this you need to know the basic elements of the ECG. The ability to work is not the ability to press buttons and mechanically cut and paste paper tape. medical worker must understand their actions and be able to evaluate the results obtained. More A.V. Suvorov said: "Every soldier must understand his maneuver."

I A striking example of ignoring all of the above, but simply flagrant illiteracy, both of a doctor and his assistant, can be the following illustration (Fig. 12). What help in making a diagnosis can this, so to speak, electrocardiogram provide? So for the paramedic who issued this marriage, and for the doctor who accepted this marriage, it doesn’t matter where the top is, where the bottom is, whether the T wave precedes the complexQRS or vice versa - it doesn't matter. How can one not recall the legendary Kozma Prutkov and his aphorism: “If you see an elephant in a cage inscription buffalo - do not believe your eyes!

And the doctor (obviously, standing on her head) also managed to give a “conclusion”: Sinus rhythm, 78 per 1 min., Intermediate electrical position, no ECG for comparison.

Conditions of myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, atherosclerosis, myocardiopathy, rheumatic heart disease, arrhythmias various genesis, hypertension - all these cardiac diseases occur in people over the age of forty.

Heart disease occurs due to the negative impact on the human body of certain hereditary factors, chronic overstrain (emotional or physical), physical trauma, stress or neuroses.

Also, common causes the development of one or another cardiovascular pathology can become: unhealthy lifestyle, poor nutrition, bad habits, disturbances in sleep and wakefulness.

But today, we would like to talk about that. In today's publication, we propose to pay attention to the electrocardiography (ECG) procedure, with the help of which physicians are able to detect these pathologies in a timely manner.

What is this diagnostic technique? What does a cardiogram show to doctors? How informative and safe is the procedure in question?

Maybe, instead of a banal cardiogram (ECG), it is better to conduct an ultrasound examination (ultrasound) of the heart? Let's figure it out.

What deviations in the work of the body can be fixed?

First of all, it should be noted that the electrocardiography (ECG) procedure is deservedly recognized as the main diagnostic technique for the timely detection of heart pathologies (all of cardio-vascular system). The procedure is widely used in modern cardiology practice.

The muscular structure of the human heart functions under the constant control of the so-called pacemaker, which originates in the heart itself. At the same time, its own pacemaker generates electrical impulses that are transmitted through the conduction system of the heart to its various departments.

On any version of the cardiogram (ECG), it is precisely these electrical impulses that are recorded and recorded, which make it possible to judge the functioning of the organ.

In other words, we can say that the ECG captures and records the peculiar language of the heart muscle.

According to the resulting deviations of specific teeth on the cardiogram (recall, these are the P, Q, R, S and T teeth), doctors get the opportunity to judge what pathology underlies the unpleasant symptoms felt by the patient.

With the help of various ECG options, doctors can recognize the following diseases hearts:

In addition, with the help of electrocardiography, it is often possible to fix: signs of the presence of a heart aneurysm, the development of extrasystole, the occurrence inflammatory process in the myocardium (myocarditis, endocarditis), the development of acute conditions of myocardial infarction or heart failure.

Do the results of different ECG methods differ?

It is no secret to anyone that electrocardiography in different situations can be carried out in different ways, or rather, doctors can use different methods of ECG research.

It is quite clear that the data of various variants of an electrocardiographic study may differ somewhat.

The most common electrocardiographic studies can be considered:

What diseases can be diagnosed during the study?

It should be said that various types of electrocardiography of the heart can be used not only as a primary diagnosis, which makes it possible to fix the initial stages of a cardiac disease.

Often, electrocardiographic studies various types can be carried out for the purpose of monitoring and controlling an already existing cardiac pathology.

So such studies can be prescribed to patients with the following pathologies:

And, of course, this study heart often allows you to answer questions - why do patients experience this or that unpleasant symptomatology - shortness of breath, chest pain, disorders heart rate.

Data indicating the need for additional tests

Unfortunately, it should be understood that the electrocardiogram cannot be considered the only true criterion for establishing one or another cardiological diagnosis.

To establish a truly correct diagnosis, doctors always use several diagnostic criteria: they must conduct a visual examination of the patient, palpation, auscultation, percussion, take an anamnesis and conduct electrocardiography.

Provided that the data of cardiography are confirmed by specific (corresponding to the alleged pathology) symptoms in the patient, the data obtained during the examination, the diagnosis is made quickly enough.

But, if a cardiologist observes some discrepancy between the patient's complaints and electrocardiography indicators, additional studies may be prescribed to the patient.

Additional studies (ultrasound, echocardiography, MRI, CT or others) may also be necessary if the electrocardiogram remains normal, and the patient makes some complaints about the intense manifestations of a problem of unclear or doubtful origin.

Ultrasound and electrocardiogram: differences in results

The technique of studying the heart muscle using ultrasound (ultrasound) has long been used in cardiology. Ultrasound diagnostics of the heart muscle, unlike an electrocardiographic study, allows you to notice not only some deviations in the functioning of the organ.

Ultrasound of the heart muscle is considered an informative, non-invasive and completely safe procedure that allows you to assess the structure, size, deformations and other characteristics of the heart muscle.

In this case, ultrasound of the heart muscle can be prescribed in the following cases:

When conducting ultrasound, doctors get the opportunity to determine the morphology of the heart muscle, assess the size of the entire organ, notice the volume of the heart cavities, understand what is the thickness of the walls, what condition the heart valves are in.

Diseases of the heart and blood vessels today are the most common pathology in many countries of the world. That's why Special attention removed not only search effective ways treatment, but preventive measures, popularization healthy lifestyle life and early diagnosis. Electrocardiography is considered the simplest, most accessible and undoubtedly informative research method that a modern cardiologist should master. This research method is based on the measurement of myocardial bioelectrical activity, which can tell about various pathologies associated with cardiac arrhythmias and conduction disorders, hypertrophy of the heart, heart attack and other diseases. Electrocardiography has a number of undeniable advantages over other modern methods research: ease of measurement, low financial costs, high information content, does not require surgical intervention. That is why the removal of an electrocardiogram is the first examination that is performed on a patient when contacting a cardiologist or upon admission to a medical institution with complaints of chest pain. However, not always and not all heart diseases can be diagnosed by this method, unfortunately, ECG diagnostics is not perfect and has a number of significant drawbacks.

Diseases that are not visible or poorly visible on the ECG.

Many diseases, especially in the early stages of development, are poorly visible on the electrocardiogram., because the recording procedure itself is carried out within a few minutes and this time is not always enough for the symptoms to fully manifest. This problem is completely solvable by the Holter monitoring method, when the patient for a day or more, if necessary, is with a special device that continuously records cardiac performance.

one more significant disadvantage is that the ECG recording occurs at rest. And in ordinary everyday life, how often do we find ourselves in this state? Of course not! On the contrary, we are constantly on the move, subject to various physical stresses or in a state of emotional stress, it is at such moments that our heart most often “says” that everything is not all right with it. Therefore, in order to reliably identify violations in the work of the myocardium, it is more correct to record the electrocardiogram with little physical activity or immediately after it. To obtain more reliable indicators, it is customary to use the so-called "stress tests" or a bicycle ergometer, of course, in this case, the efficiency and information content of the results obtained are significantly increased than without the use of a load.

Besides, There is a whole group of diseases of the cardiovascular system, in the detection of which the method of electrocardiography is not leading or is not used at all. Such pathologies include neoplasms in the heart muscle, congenital heart defects and hemodynamic disorders, and many defects in large vessels.

Neoplasms in the heart muscle are usually divided into benign (myxoma, fibroma, rhabdomyoma) and malignant (sarcoma and lymphoma). The tumor may be localized in the pericardium, myocardium, or endocardium. Most often, tumors occur in the interventricular septum or directly in the wall of the left ventricle. The danger of neoplasms located in the cavities of the heart lies in the fact that they can provoke serious disruptions in intracardiac hemodynamics, which are often mistaken for valvular defects. It is noteworthy that metastases in the heart muscle are thirty times more common than primary tumors of the heart. Using the ECG method, it is almost impossible to directly diagnose the presence of a neoplasm, it is only possible to note some signs of hypertrophy, heart failure, or rhythm disturbances. In this case, echocardiography is considered a more reliable method of investigation.

Heart defects are various anomalies in the development of the myocardium and great vessels that can form during the period of intrauterine development of the fetus (congenital malformations) or occur after the birth of a child and throughout life due to various injuries, negative influences, diseases, and so on (acquired malformations) . "Defects of the heart" is enough common name, which unites a whole group of various pathologies that ultimately lead to a variety of hemodynamic disorders, as well as significant malfunctions of the heart muscle and without high-quality and timely diagnosis may lead to death. The difficulty in identifying defects lies in the fact that they can manifest themselves various syndromes: cardiac, chronic systemic hypoxia, heart failure syndrome or respiratory disorders. Accordingly, at taking an ECG you can see signs of any of the above syndromes, and not the root cause of the pathology. In this case, echocardiography is considered the main technique, since it makes it possible to consider the morphology of the defect and establish the functional state of the heart as a whole.

Hemodynamic disorders are primary or secondary, depending on the cause that caused them. This group of diseases includes hypervolemia of the pulmonary circulation with overload of the ventricles, insufficient ejection of blood into the vessels, hypovolemia of the pulmonary circulation with a simultaneous increase in the minute volume of blood in big circle, valvular insufficiency, mixing of venous and arterial blood, various forms of cardiac decompensation, arterial hypertension in the upper vessels and hypotension in the lower and others. Such diseases require careful complex diagnostics using several research methods.

The term "EKG" stands for "electrocardiogram". This is a graphical recording of the electrical impulses of the heart.

The human heart has its own pacemaker. The pacemaker is located directly in the right atrium. This place is called the sinus node. The impulse that comes from this node is called a sinus impulse (it will help to decipher what the ECG will show). It is this source of impulses that is located in the very heart and itself generates electrical impulses. Then they are sent to the conducting system. Impulses in people who do not have cardiac pathology pass evenly through the conductive cardiac system. All these outgoing impulses are recorded and displayed on the cardiogram tape.

From this it follows that an ECG - an electrocardiogram - is a graphically registered impulses of the cardiac system. Will an EKG show heart problems? ? Of course it's great and fast way identify any heart disease. Moreover, the electrocardiogram is the most basic method in diagnosing the detection of pathology and various diseases hearts.

Created by the Englishman A. Waller back in the seventies of the XIX century. Over the next 150 years, the device that records the electrical activity of the heart has undergone changes and improvements. Although the principle of operation has not changed.

Modern ambulance teams are necessarily equipped with portable ECG devices, with which you can make an ECG very quickly, saving valuable time. With the help of an ECG, you can even diagnose a person. An ECG will show heart problems: from acute cardiac pathologies to In these cases, not a minute can be lost, and therefore a timely cardiogram can save a person's life.

Doctors of ambulance teams themselves decipher the ECG tape and, in case of acute pathology if the device shows a heart attack, then, including a siren, the patient is quickly taken to the clinic, where he will be immediately provided urgent help. But with problems, urgent hospitalization is not necessary, everything will depend on what the ECG shows.

When is an electrocardiogram prescribed?

If a person has the symptoms described below, then the cardiologist directs him to an electrocardiogram:

• swollen legs;
• fainting states;
• have shortness of breath;
• pain in the sternum, in the back, pain in the neck.

An ECG is necessarily assigned to pregnant women for examination, to people in preparation for surgery, medical examination.

Also, ECG results are required in case of a trip to a sanatorium or if permission is needed for any sports activities.

For prevention and if a person has no complaints, doctors recommend taking an electrocardiogram once a year. Often this can help diagnose cardiac pathologies that are asymptomatic.

What will the ECG show

On the tape itself, the cardiogram can show a collection of prongs as well as recessions. These teeth are denoted by capital Latin letters P, Q, R, S and T. When deciphering, the cardiologist studies and deciphers the width, height of the teeth, their size and the intervals between them. These indicators can be used to determine general state heart muscles.

With the help of an electrocardiogram, various pathologies of the heart can be detected. Will an EKG show a heart attack? Certainly yes.

What determines an electrocardiogram

• Heart rate - heart rate.
• Rhythms of contractions of the heart.
• Heart attack.
• Arrhythmias.
• Hypertrophy of the ventricles.
• Ischemic and cardiac changes.

The most disappointing and serious diagnosis on the electrocardiogram is myocardial infarction. In the diagnosis of heart attacks, the ECG plays an important and even major role. With the help of a cardiogram, a zone of necrosis, localization and depth of lesions of the heart area are revealed. Also, when deciphering the cardiogram tape, it is possible to recognize and distinguish acute myocardial infarction from aneurysms and past scars. Therefore, when passing a medical examination, it is imperative to do a cardiogram, because it is very important for a doctor to know what the ECG will show.

Most often, a heart attack is associated directly with the heart. But it is not so. A heart attack can occur in any organ. It happens (when the tissues of the lungs partially or completely die off, if there is a blockage of the arteries).

There is a cerebral infarction (in other words, ischemic stroke) - the death of brain tissue, which can be caused by thrombosis or rupture of cerebral vessels. With a cerebral infarction, such functions as the gift of speech, physical movements and sensitivity can completely go astray or disappear.

When a person has a heart attack, death or necrosis of living tissue occurs in his body. The body loses tissue or part of an organ, as well as the functions performed by this organ.

Myocardial infarction is the death or ischemic necrosis of areas or areas of the heart muscle itself due to a complete or partial loss of blood supply. Heart muscle cells begin to die approximately 20-30 minutes after blood flow stops. If a person has a myocardial infarction, blood circulation is disturbed. One or more blood vessels fail. Most often, heart attacks occur due to blockage of blood vessels by blood clots (atherosclerotic plaques). The zone of distribution of the infarction depends on the severity of the disruption of the organ, for example, extensive myocardial infarction or microinfarction. Therefore, you should not immediately despair if the ECG shows a heart attack.

This becomes a threat to the work of the entire cardiovascular system of the body and threatens life. In the modern period, heart attacks are main reason mortality among the population of developed countries of the world.

Heart attack symptoms

• Dizziness.
• Labored breathing.
• Pain in the neck, shoulder, which can radiate to the back, numbness.
• Cold sweat.
• Nausea, full stomach feeling.
• Feeling of constriction in the chest.
• Heartburn.
• Cough.
• Chronic fatigue.
• Loss of appetite.

The main signs of myocardial infarction

1. Intense pain in the region of the heart.
2. Pain that does not stop after taking nitroglycerin.
3. If the duration of the pain is already more than 15 minutes.

Causes of a heart attack

1. Atherosclerosis.
2. Rheumatism.
3. Congenital heart disease.
4. Diabetes.
5. Smoking, obesity.
6. arterial hypertension.
7. Vasculitis.
8. Increased blood viscosity (thrombosis).
9. Previously transferred heart attacks.
10. severe spasms coronary artery(for example, when taking cocaine).
11. Age changes.

ECG also allows you to identify other diseases, such as tachycardia, arrhythmia, ischemic disorders.

Arrhythmia

What to do if the ECG showed arrhythmia?

An arrhythmia can be characterized by numerous changes in the contraction of the heartbeat.

An arrhythmia is a condition in which there is a violation of the heart rhythm and heart rate. More often this pathology is marked by a heartbeat failure; the patient has a rapid, then a slow heartbeat. An increase occurs during inhalation, and a decrease occurs during exhalation.

angina pectoris

If the patient has bouts of pain under the sternum or to the left of it in the region of the left arm, which can last a few seconds, and can last up to 20 minutes, then the ECG will show angina pectoris.

Pain usually increases with weight lifting, heavy physical exertion, when going out into the cold and may disappear at rest. Such pains are reduced within 3-5 minutes when taking nitroglycerin. The patient's skin turns pale and the pulse becomes uneven, which causes interruptions in the work of the heart.

Angina pectoris is one form of the heart. It is often difficult to diagnose angina pectoris, because such abnormalities can also occur with other cardiac pathologies. Angina pectoris can further lead to heart attacks and strokes.

Tachycardia

Many are very worried when they find out that the ECG showed tachycardia.

Tachycardia is an increase at rest. Heart rhythms with tachycardia can reach up to 100-150 beats per minute. Such a pathology can also occur in people, regardless of age, when lifting weights or with increased physical exertion, as well as with strong psycho-emotional arousal.

Still, tachycardia is considered rather not a disease, but a symptom. But it is no less dangerous. If the heart starts beating too fast, it cannot fill with blood, which further leads to a decrease in blood output and a lack of oxygen in the body, as well as the heart muscle itself. If the tachycardia lasts for more than a month, it can lead to further failure of the heart muscle and an increase in the size of the heart.

Symptoms characteristic of tachycardia

• Dizziness, fainting.
• Weakness.
• Dyspnea.
• Increased anxiety.
• Feeling of increased heart rate.
• Heart failure.
• Pain in the chest.

The causes of tachycardia can be: ischemic disease heart, various infections, toxic effects, ischemic changes.

Conclusion

Now there are many different heart diseases that can be accompanied by painful and painful symptoms. Before starting their treatment, it is necessary to diagnose, find out the cause of the problem and, if possible, eliminate it.

To date, an electrocardiogram is the only effective method in the diagnosis of heart pathologies, which is also completely harmless and painless. This method is suitable for everyone - both children and adults, and is also affordable, effective and highly informative, which is very important in modern life.

In the case of a medical examination or a comprehensive examination of the body, the cardiologist will refer you to an electrocardiogram (ECG), so it is very important to understand what the ECG shows, which is currently the only completely harmless and painless method diagnosis of cardiac pathologies.

This article will discuss what heart problems an ECG examination is indicated for, how to understand what problem you need to do an ultrasound scan for, how to prepare for an ECG, and how the ECG results are read.

ECG is a method for studying the work of the muscles of the pericardial region, which does not deliver any problems to the heart or the human body as a whole. discomfort or harm.

The device, called an electrocardiograph, captures heart impulses, pulse, the period of time needed for the heart to fill with blood from the lungs from the state of ejection of blood into the aorta.

All ECG indicators are drawn on a tracing paper in the form of a broken line, on which all the problems that occur with the heart, or their absence, will be visible.

A cardiogram is a printed image of this curve.

Since the person is not exposed to any radiation during an ECG (the method of cardiography can be compared to measuring blood pressure), if you suspect a disease directly or indirectly related to the heart, the doctor will give a referral to the electrocardiography room.

How is an ECG test performed? No prior preparation for an ECG is required.

It is important to sit for a while before starting the ECG so that the rhythm of contractions in the heart is restored after climbing the stairs or walking quickly to the clinic.

ECG is performed both in a sitting position and lying down. Electrodes are attached to the chest, wrists and above the ankle joint of the patient on special clothespins and with the help of suction cups.

As already mentioned, no pain it doesn't call. However, if an ECG is done to a child, then an adult is required to be nearby during the entire procedure.

Here are some tips to make the process easy:

• since it is required to expose the wrists and ankle joint, choose appropriate clothing so that it is easy to remove it;
• do not wear jewelry around the neck and wrists. They must be removed for the duration of the study, so there is a risk of forgetting them in the office;
• for men, for the accuracy of the results, it is desirable to shave the chest;
• During the examination, the doctor applies a viscous substance to the contact points of the sensors with the skin, sometimes there is an excess of it, so take a small towel or napkin with you so that you can easily remove the remnants of this substance.

The procedure itself takes no more than a few minutes, it will take a little longer to get an answer in your hands, after which you can go to a cardiologist.

The need for examination

If you do not feel any heart or health problems, but are planning a trip to a medical and recreational institution, go medical checkup, your age is more than 40 years, your relatives have diseases associated with the heart or you are planning a pregnancy, then this is an indication for visiting the electrocardiography room.

Here are the cases in which you will be assigned an ECG:

• pain in thoracic region spine;
• planned surgical intervention;
• kidney disease, established hypertension or hypertension;
• increased platelets ("thick blood");
• Ultrasound of the vessels showed the formation of plaques;
• established varicose veins veins;
• a number of other indications, which are determined by the doctor.

It is worth noting that the irregularity of the heart rhythm (tachycardia) is a clear indication for an ECG in an adult, to one degree or another it is characteristic of a healthy child, so the norms of this analysis differ significantly in children and adults.

Only with the onset of puberty, after 12-14 years, does the ECG of a child approach the norm adopted for an adult.

Conclusion about the results

What diseases the ECG shows, the doctor determines. Deciphering broken lines and their angles of inclination is not only a complex process, but also work that requires knowledge and their frequent application in practice.

What the cardiogram shows is largely determined not only by the state of health and the work of the human heart, but also by certain physiological processes occurring in the body.

The qualification of a cardiologist requires this knowledge for the correct interpretation of the ECG.

The doctor must know not only what a normal ECG looks like, but also the options for deviations, which are also in the range considered normal.

Do not be surprised if you are asked to bring the previous cardiogram - for a correct interpretation, it is important for the doctor to see the dynamics.

So, if pathologies associated with the heart have appeared recently, this will be noticeable when comparing the results of two analyzes - the current and the previous one.

If previously the cardiogram was normal, and the current examination showed pathological condition, the doctor may prescribe an ultrasound of the cardiovascular system.

During ultrasound, it is possible to establish whether there are any changes in the shape of the vessels (aneurysms, pathological expansions or narrowings, etc.).

Ultrasound will show the speed of blood flow in the vessels, the rate of pumping blood from the atrium to the ventricle, the speed of the pulmonary circulation - in combination with the cardiogram, this will make it possible to diagnose the disease in time.

The doctor's report will contain a description possible pathologies or a phrase stating that they are not installed.

It is worth noting that an ECG is done at rest, while certain heart diseases can only appear during exercise.

To do this, the patient is examined by a mobile sensor, the procedure is called Holter monitoring. The patient wears the device on a belt or on a long strap, like a shoulder bag.

The device will record all changes associated with the activation physical activity. Data is recorded and stored from days to weeks.

This method will show changes in dynamics, if any. Which situations require Holter monitoring, and in which a simple ECG done in the office in the clinic is enough, the doctor will determine.

One of the indications for choosing a long-term study of heart contractions is fatigue and shortness of breath with little physical exertion.

How is an ECG decoded?

Depending on the gender and age of the patient, the concept of the norm changes. So, for example, the heart rate on the cardiogram looks like the distance between adjacent teeth.

Normal in an adult is from 60 to 100 beats per minute. Even for such a serious discrepancy in the concept normal it is already possible to understand that normal cardiograms will vary greatly.

An ECG arrhythmia is said to be if the work done by the heart is above 100 beats per minute or less than 60.

For diagnostics, the angle of the electrical axis (the resulting vector) is also important, it is measured in degrees, in the normal state it is 40 - 70 degrees.

Myocardial hypertrophy, which physically looks like thickening of the walls of the heart muscle, is functionally a way for the cardiovascular system to compensate for any pathology.

An ECG will show in this case a slowdown in the transmission of an electrical impulse. If such an indicator is visible on the ECG, then the doctor will send for an ultrasound scan to clarify the thickness of the seal.

In some cases, the ECG will show the pathology associated with changes in blood flow in the coronary vessels.

This problem leads to scarring of the heart tissue, a decrease in the lumen of the vessels and a high risk of heart attack. However, a number of ECG pathologies will not show.

In this case, an ultrasound will be prescribed, possibly even a Doppler ultrasound, which is a little more expensive.

It is important to understand that a cardiogram cannot be a diagnosis and will not always show a specific disease.

In fact, this is an indicator of what reserves the heart has to maintain a normal rhythm both at rest and during natural exercise.

According to the ECG pathologies, the doctor determines the diagnosis and, possibly, prescribes additional studies, such as ultrasound or MRI.

Do not try to diagnose yourself by looking at the lines of the cardiogram, and even more so, do not start a course of treatment.

All pathologies of the heart should be diagnosed by ECG only by a qualified specialist.