Having used various types of ECG for quite a few years now for both diagnostics and monitoring, I have found they are only as accurate as the operator, and highly invaluable in diagnosis of varying cardiac conditions resulting in electrical activity changes. This type of diagnostic equipment has saved millions of lives world wide due to its ability to be used as a tool in a diagnostic role.
The 12 lead diagnostic ECG is not a predictor of conditions and only provides a few seconds window into the electric conductivity of the heart. In this role, other factors are taken into account. Even stress ECG's are limited in this capacity as they only provide a small window for the diagnostician to view.
Most folks have a baseline record in their first medical. This is usually used as a comparison for more recent records. Any changes can provide an alert to the DAME to start looking for other factors or symptoms.
Recommended DO and DONTs at your ecg (by no means hard and fast, but things I have found that work with most of the patients I have dealt with)
-Dont smoke within 30 mins of your ecg
-Dont leave your mobile on. Some mobile fields have been known to interfere with the analysis function of some ECG units.
-Dont speak or talk during the analysis. When the operator says "stay still", do that. There is a reason for it.
-Avoid stimulants such as coffee, soft drinks and so on
-Any medication normally taken, should be taken as normal
-Ensure an adequate fluid intake, such as water. Dehydration causes electrolyte concentration in the blood, thus changes to the electrical conductivty of the cardiac tissue can be noted. It also helps alleviate the embarassment of not being able to provide a sample for the urine analysis.
-get a good nights sleep prior to your medical exam. Sleep is a great stress reliever and can lower blood pressure as a result.
-eat properly. Turing up in a half starved, nervous state can give a poorer picture.
-find a DAME you like, and turn up early. Stressing out in traffic, trying to find car parks and so on can also cause a rise in stress levels.
-Take a good book.
-If the ECG looks doubtful, ask for another. Most clinics will do this at the DAMEs request. Remember, the machine is operated by a human.
My biggest hastle, was I knew something was wrong, and I happened to have a monitoring unit with me. This unit has 3 leads, but it still showed I had some changes to my heart conductivity. I knew that the prognosis wasnt going to be good for my medical.
The heart is a magnificently designed four chamber pump. Even when changes to normal occur, the pump still has the potential to operate effectively, however, in some cases, not as effeciently. Mine couldn't keep my blood pressure up, thus falling down without notice became a pass-time I have no wish to repeat. If anyone expresses an interest, I can give a quick rundown of the operation of this pump (I teach it for as part of my job). Knowing how it works in simple terms can alleviate some of the worry.
Last edited by Northern Chique; 30th Apr 2006 at 22:40.