Explanation

ECGs (electrocardiograms) are tests that give doctors information about the activity of your heart. They measure the electrical signals that make your heart beat and record them as a graph. This graph is usually shown on a piece of paper.

Why do I need to have one?

An ECG can show different types of heart problems. You might have one to help doctors find out what is wrong if you have pains in your chest or problems breathing, or if you can feel that your heart has started beating differently from the way it normally does.

You might also have an ECG before you have an operation, just as a routine test.

What does it show?

An ECG shows any problems with the rhythm of your heart, like if it is beating too slow or too fast, and also if you have any type of heart disease. They can also show if your heart is enlarged - the electrical signals are bigger than normal.

In older people, an ECG can help to show doctors if they are having a heart attack, or if they have had one before.

What happens?

An ECG only takes about 5 minutes to do! Small, sticky patches called electrodes are stuck onto your arms, legs and chest. Wires from the electrodes are connected to the ECG machine. The machine picks up the electrical signals that make your heart beat and records a few beats from each set of electrodes as a graph. This is usually shown on a piece of paper.

How does it work?

The electrodes on the different parts of your body pick up electrical signals coming from different directions in your heart. There are normal patterns for each electrode, but some heart problems show abnormal patterns instead.

Does it hurt?

An ECG is totally painless and harmless. The ECG machine records electrical signals coming from your body - it does not put any electricity into your body.

What happens next?

The doctor will have a look at the graph showing the ECG results and will then discuss them with you.

What if I have any more questions?

If you have any other questions, you can ask your doctor, or chat to other people about having an ECG in the Medikidz forums and virtual world, Mediland.