Also called EKG, Electrocardiography, Heart tracing
Electrocardiogram (ECG)
A recording of the heart's electrical activity from small stickers placed on the skin. It takes a few minutes, involves no needles and no radiation, and is usually the first test performed.
- How long
- About 5 minutes
- Preparation
- None required
- Does it hurt
- None. Nothing is passed into the body
- Results
- Available immediately
What happens
- 01
You lie down and the upper chest is exposed
A gown or sheet is provided. If chest hair prevents the stickers adhering, a small area may need to be shaved.
- 02
Ten small adhesive electrodes are placed
Six across the chest and one on each limb. A little gel helps contact. They are painless and are removed like a plaster.
- 03
You lie still and breathe normally for about ten seconds
Movement and talking add interference to the trace, so the recording is taken while you are relaxed and still.
- 04
The trace prints immediately
The doctor reads it there and then. In most cases you are told the result in the same consultation.
What it shows
- The heart's rhythm — whether it is regular, too fast or too slow
- Evidence of a current or previous heart attack
- Signs that the heart muscle is not receiving enough blood at the moment of recording
- Thickening of the heart muscle, often from long-standing high blood pressure
- Conduction block, where the electrical signal is delayed or interrupted
- Effects of electrolyte disturbance and of certain medications
What it cannot tell you
- An ECG records the heart only during the seconds it is running. A rhythm problem that comes and goes will be missed unless it happens to occur at that moment.
- A normal ECG does not exclude coronary artery disease. Many people with significant narrowing have a completely normal resting trace.
- It does not show the valves or measure pumping strength — that is what an echocardiogram is for.
How to prepare
- No fasting, and no need to stop your regular medicines unless you are told otherwise.
- A two-piece outfit is easier than a dress or a saree that is difficult to lift.
- Avoid heavy body lotion or oil on the chest that day, since it stops electrodes sticking.
- Bring any previous ECGs. Comparing with an older trace often matters more than the new one alone.
Conditions this helps assess
Other tests
Book a consultation
Tests are arranged after an assessment, so that each one is answering a question that matters in your case.
- Clinic
- 13, Ground Floor, M.K. Plaza, Hospital Road, near Madhav Dispensary
Gwalior 474001
Directions - OPD hours
- Monday to Saturday
12:30–2:30 pm, 5:30–6:30 pm
Closed Sunday - In an emergency
- Do not use this site. Call 108 for an ambulance or go to the nearest emergency department.