Office Hours
Practice office hours are from 8:00am to 5:00pm, Monday through Friday. You may schedule your appointment by calling (719)471-9942.
|
|
| |
|
|
Electrocardiogram
An electrocardiogram, or EKG/ECG, is a test that measures the electrical activity of the heartbeat. With each beat, an electrical impulse, or "wave", travels through the heart. This wave causes the muscle to squeeze and pump blood from the heart.
An EKG gives two kinds on information. First, by measuring time intervals on the EKG, a doctor can determine how long the electrical wave takes to pass through the heart. Finding out how a wave takes to travel from one part of the heart to the next shows if the electrical activity is normal, slow, fast or irregular. Second, by measuring the amount of electrical activity passing through the heart muscle, a cardiologist may be able to find out if parts of the heart are too large or are overworked. |
Several sensors called electrodes will pick up the electrical activity in the heart. The patient will lie down, and technicians will put several patches (electrodes) on the chest, arms and legs. The electrodes are connected to wires called leads, which are connected to the EKG machine. The electrical activity of the heart then is recorded on a moving strip of paper in the EKG machine. During the EKG recording, the patient must lie quietly for 10-20 seconds, because the electrocardiograph will detect any muscle or body movement.
|
|
|
|
