The cardiology exams

THE ELECTROCARDIOGRAM

- Concrete achievement
- Results
- Indications

The heart is constituted of several tissues, which are from in to outside the pericardium, the myocardium and the endocardium.

The myocardium corresponds to the heart muscle and represents the tissue taking up the biggest space in the heart. This tissue is constituted of muscle whose contraction is responsible for the ejection of blood by the heart.

As every muscle, the heart is capable of giving out a certain quantity of electricity when it is in action. This electricity issued can be recorded by a device called an electrocardiograph.

The recording of this electric activity of the heart is called an electrocardiogram.

CONCRETE ACHIEVEMENT

The nurse (or the physician) must plug in a certain number of electrodes on the person benefiting from the electrocardiogram.

These electrodes are distributed as follows:

One electrode is placed at the level of every member, the two arms and the two legs. Six electrodes are placed on the thorax, at very precise places.

The duration of this exam is 2 to 5 minutes and it is completely painless.

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File last modified on june 8, 2006