EKG

[bobrm205]

I wish I could understand the reading on a EKG or ECG dose anyone now of a study book (EKG for dumies)?

[kenkeith]

If you have had a heart attack, an echocardiogram would show heart wall movement impairment and the EF (ejection fraction fraction, amount of blood pumped with each heartbeat) would be less than normal or low normal with a mild attack.

A blood test is positive for recent heart attacks, older and possible silent heart attacks would not show with a blood test.  If the ST interval on the EKG is elevated that could indicate a prior heart attack, and if the ST interval is downward that could indicate aschemia (lack of blood/oxygen usually due to blockage).  Requires further evidence as there could be many other causes for abnormal ST segments.

A stress perfusion test can determine if there are any vessel blockages.    

[bobrm205]

If you have a heart attack it was caused by a lack of blood flow this is repaired with a stent the heart attack shows up on your EKG. now the stent includes you have further problems with blood flow if there is already markers on your EKG how would they know if there's a problem. Blood tests come back okay so you didn't have a heart attack but there could be a real problem with blood flow how would this be diagnosed.

[kenkeith]

...good research.  Also, for the impulse to pass through or over synopses (empty space between heart cells) requires some understanding of the role of chemistry (electrolytes, etc.).  

[ed34]

If you search the internet, you can find some basic explanations of an ekg. Then start to look at the variations and what they refer to, but there are a lot of them. I spent about two months looking into them and I'm still learning. The 'basic' trace on a normal ekg simply shows the activity of the electrical impulses running through the special cells on the heart to the various sections and shows the difference in energy for each phase. For example, it shows depolarization/repolarization of the atria and ventricles, the rest (pause) between the atria depolarization and ventricle depolarization to allow filling of the ventricles. The distances between each phase are also very important because they can give indications of different heart conditions. The P wave is the phase of atria depolarization, the PR interval is the delay in the AV node, the QRS complex represents the depolarization of the ventricles, the ST segment is the delay between ventricular depolarization and repolarization, the T wave represents the repolarization of the ventricles. Atria repolarization occurs during ventricle depolarization so there is no real distinction between the two on an ekg trace. So the timing between all those phases is very important. For example, if the delay between the ventricle depolarization (when it contracts) and repolarization (when it relaxes) is too short, then the blood will not be pumped out efficiently. If repolarization is seen to be impaired (relaxing of ventricles) then the heart will not work properly (T wave phase).

[kenkeith]

If you have a basic understanding of electronic physics, human cell biology and how that pertains to the dynamics of the heart (good or bad), you may be able to quickly understand an EKG output and the internet is a good souce.  Without the basics, it may be difficult to understand the significance of an EKG output. I believe EKG 101 student-class book requires prerequisites...it probably is a course for pre-med  sophomore student.

[grendslori]

You might try going to a University bokstore that sells medical books or go to Ebay and look up Electrocardiogram books.