Electrocardiogram (EKG) | Kaiser Permanente (2024)

FAQs

Is ECG enough to detect heart problems? ›

But if you are having heart problems, your doctor may recommend getting this test. An ECG is pretty accurate at diagnosing many types of heart disease, although it doesn't always pick up every heart problem. You may have a perfectly normal ECG, yet still have a heart condition.

An EKG can only measure electrical activity for the time it is attached. This is often a very short period, usually a few seconds to a few minutes. If a person has infrequent heart issues, such as atrial fibrillation that only occurs every few days, an EKG might not detect it.

EKGs may be able to detect previous heart attacks. However, an EKG is not the most reliable way to detect previous heart attacks. According to a 2018 review , EKGs can detect previous heart attacks around 48.4% of the time. They can also detect the absence of any previous heart attack 83.5% of the time.

After your EKG test, you can usually expect to receive your results on the same day. Depending on the findings, your doctor may request additional testing or follow-up appointments to further investigate any abnormalities or underlying issues.

A person with a heart condition may have a normal ECG result if the condition does not cause a problem with the electrical activity of the heart. In this case, your doctor may recommend other tests, including: physical examination (listening to heart sounds)

Heart failure in patients with a normal ejection fraction is generally referred to as heart failure caused by LV diastolic dysfunction (ie, diastolic failure). Such a clinical definition of diastolic failure requires (1) the presence of signs and symptoms of heart failure and (2) a normal LV ejection fraction.

"An EKG is used to determine whether the heart's rhythm is regular or irregular," explains Dr. Dayah. "It can also help evaluate whether a blockage may be reducing blood flow to the heart."

An echocardiogram is a common test. It gives a picture of your heart using ultrasound, a type of X-ray. It uses a probe either on your chest or down your oesophagus (throat). It helps your doctor check if there are any problems with your heart's valves and chambers, and see how strongly your heart pumps blood.

Valvular defects cannot be detected using an ECG. Chest X-ray can be used to determine such defects. Therefore, an ECG can detect arrhythmia, myocardial infarction and also heart block but not valvular defects.

This computer diagnosis is frequently wrong (up to 20% of cases)! These errors can be critical, for example, many patients in sinus rhythm have been started on dangerous medications due to an erroneous computer diagnosis of atrial fibrillation.

Is my heart ok if echo is normal? ›

The normal EKGs and ECHO that you have had are good indicators that your heart is healthy. The chest pains do have to be addressed because it can be an early sign of narrowing in the arteries of your heart. You should make sure you see your doctor regarding the chest pains.

Sometimes these disorders can cause symptoms that mirror cardiovascular concerns, from increased heart rate (or a perception of one) to shortness of breath and chest pain, notes the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Additionally, some manifestations of anxiety disorders can lead to abnormal ECG readings.

An ECG can reveal if you had a silent heart attack up to months or years ago without you realizing it. However, EKG's are not the most accurate in detecting prior silent heart attacks. Rather, they are best used when combined with other imaging tests like Blood Tests, CT Scans and Cardiac MRI's.

An EKG cannot provide a definitive diagnosis of heart failure on its own. However, it can reveal signs that the heart may be under stress. EKGs assess the heart's electrical activity, recording the heart's rhythm and electrical impulses as waves. There are several types of wave that the EKG can measure.

If your symptoms come and go, they may not be captured in a standard EKG. That's because an EKG records the heartbeat for only 10 seconds and may miss symptoms that occur a few times a day, week or even less often.

An ECG is a great test to analyse heart signals and can directly or indirectly help spot heart blockages or artery issues.

An abnormal EKG can mean many things. Sometimes an EKG abnormality is a normal variation of a heart's rhythm, which does not affect your health. Other times, an abnormal EKG can signal a medical emergency, such as a myocardial infarction (heart attack) or a dangerous arrhythmia.