What is an Electrocardiogram?

An electrocardiogram (e-lek-tro-KAR-de-o-gram), also called an EKG or ECG is a simple, painless test that records the heart’s electrical activity. To understand this test, it helps to understand how the heart works.

With each heartbeat, an electrical signal spreads from the top of the heart to the bottom. As it travels, the signal causes the heart to contract and pump blood. The process repeats with each new heartbeat.

The heart’s electrical signals set the rhythm of the heartbeat. From more detailed information and animations, go to the Health Topics How the Heart Works article.

An EKG shows:

How fast your heart is beating
Whether the rhythm of your heartbeat is steady or irregular
The strength and timing of electrical signals as they pass through each part of your heart

Doctors use EKGs to detect and study many heart problems, such as heart attacks, arrhythmias (ah-RITH-me-ahs) , and heart failure. The test’s result also can suggest other disorders that heart function.

Other Names for an Electrocardiogram

An electrocardiogram also is called an EKG or ECG. Sometimes the test is called a 12-lead EKG or 12-lead ECG. This is because the heart’s electrical activity most often is recorded from 12 different places on the body at the same time.

Who Needs an Electrocardiogram?

Your doctor recommend an electrocardiogram (EKG) if you have signs or symptoms that suggest a heart problem. Examples of such signs and symptoms include:

Chest pain
Heart pounding racing or fluttering, or the sense that your heart is beating unevenly
Breathing problems
Tiredness and weakness
Unusual heart sounds when your doctor listens your heartbeat

You may need to have more than one EKG so your doctor can diagnose certain heart conditions.

An EKG also may be done as part of a routine health exam. The test can screen for early heart disease that has no symptoms. Your doctor is more likely to look for early heart disease if your mother, father, brother, or sister had heart disease – especially early in life.

You may have an EKG so your doctor can check how well heart medicine or a medical device, such as a pacemaker, is working. The test also may be used for routine screening before major surgery.

Your doctor also may use EKG results to help plan your treatment for a heart condition.

What to Expect Before an Electrocardiogram

You don’t need to take any special steps before having an electrocardiogram (EKG). However, tell your doctor or his or her staff about the medicines you’re taking. Some medicines can affect EKG results.

What to Expect During an Electrocardiogram

An electrocardiogram (EKG) is planes and harmless. A nurse or technician will attach soft, sticky patches called electrodes to the skin of your chest, arms, and legs. The patches are about the size of a quarter.

Often, 12 patches are attached to your body. This helps detect your heart’s electrical activity from many areas at the same time. The nurse may have to shave areas of your skin to help the patches stick.

After the patches are placed on your skin, you’ll lie still on a table while the patches detect your heart’s electrical signals. A machine will record these signals on graph paper or display them on a screen.

The entire test will take about 10 minutes.

Animation – оживление
Disorder – расстройство
Fluttering – волнение
Heartbeat – сердцебиение
Major – главный, основной
Pounding – колотиться (о сердце)
Painless – безболезненный
Patch – заплата, пластырь
Steady – устойчивый
Suggest – предполагать, предлагать
Screen – экран
Staff – персонал
Shave – брить
Spread – распространять(ся)
Unevenly – неровный
Planes – плоский, ровный

Answer the questions:

What is an Electrocardiogram?
Is electrocardiogram (EKG) painful and harmless?
What does an EKG show?
Can the test screen for early heart disease?

5. How many minutes will it take you to the entire test?

Radiological Researches

The x-ray method of research of a thorax is used for recognition, first of all, diseases of lungs – pneumonia, tuberculosis, tumors, professional defeats, and also for diagnostics of heart diseases, diseases of cardiac muscle, pericardium diseases. The method helps with recognition of changes of a backbone, lymph nodes. The x-ray method for routine inspections is widely used, in particular at identification of early symptoms of tuberculosis, tumors, professional diseases when other symptoms of these diseases still are absent. X-ray of abdominal organs carry out at a clinical picture of “a sharp stomach”, that is in the presence of complains of the patient to severe pains in a stomach. Usually thus diagnose the following diseases:

Cholecystitis, cholelithic illness

Pancreatitis

Abscesses and inflammatory diseases of abdominal organs

Gut ischemia

Acute appendicitis

Radiological research of bones and joints is carried out for recognition of the main diseases of joints – changes, tumors, inflammatory and dystrophic damage of joints. X-ray pictures of bones and joins are made in radiological offices. In drawing x-ray picture of a knee joint.Bones detain X-rays, they are well visible in pictures therefore any changes of bones – changes, cracks, reduction of the content of calcium, tumoral educations – are distinguished by means of radiological research. In pictures of joints their bone surfaces are well visible, a state the hryashchevykhof educations judge on width and a form of an articulate crack.

Radiological research of kidneys and urinary ways includes a survey X-ray analysis of a stomach when the picture, and research of urinary ways by means of contrast substances is simply made. It allows to receive the image of kidneys and urinary ways in X-ray pictures. Research objective – to receive approximate idea of an arrangement and size of kidneys, to find stones in uric ways. It is carried out in a X-ray office. The patient undresses, bares a stomach, lays down on a table of the X-ray device and pictures are made.

Radiological research of bodies of the gastrointestinal highway – the research methods, allowing to receive the image of these bodies on the screen of the X-ray device, and also to make pictures on a X-ray film.

Radiological research is applied to identification of diseases of a gullet (developmental anomalies, ulcers, tumors, narrowing of a gleam, diverticulums); stomach (ulcers, tumors), intestines (inflammatory diseases, tumors, diverticulums), and also violations of motive function of these bodies.

1. Allow- позволять

2. Arrangement - расположение

3. Approximately - ориентировочно

4. To apply- применять

5. Backbone - позвоночник

6. Bare- обнажать

7. Body – здоровый орган

8. Carry out - выполнять

9. To conduct – проводить исследование

10. Crack - трещина

11. Articulate crack – суставная щель

12. Screen – экран