What can an ECG show?

[Dr Jekyll]

What kind of things are picked up by an ECG, for example if someone has had a heart attack months or years before, will it show up?

[pneumothorax]

In answer, lots. Depends a lot on who is analysing it though. Evidence of previous "heart attack" is usually obvious, leaves a permanent trace. Also gives a good idea of the shape of the heart, it's electrical axis so to speak, so gives you an idea if one part is more developed than others, also how the hearts's electrical pacemaker is functioning.

[kurt535]

a 12 lead ecg offers so much information its frightening! the trick comes identifying what the information is telling you. some who i have enormous respect for once commented how he went on an ecg course just to learn what normal pqrst waves looked like so he could then more quickly identify one that looked dodgy!

[shed driver]

It can also show some electrolyte imbalances - high potassium levels typically show up as tall, tented T-waves.

The most obscure ECG I ever saw was a person with a second heart piggybacked.

SD.

[The_Doc]

Obligatory self deprecating joke:

"What's pink and gets hard in a surgeon's hands?"

"An ECG"

[Riley Blue]

I had an ECG during a pre-op for prostate cancer surgery. It showed a 'spike' that eventually led to surgery being ruled out and me having an angioplasty, three stents and being told I'd had a heart attack. I've never had any chest pains, no discomfort, nothing at all but investigation showed seriously narrowed arteries.

[shed driver]

The_Doc said:

Obligatory self deprecating joke:

"What's pink and gets hard in a surgeon's hands?"

"An ECG"

And from my field...

"what's the definition of a double blind study? Two orthopaedic consultants looking at an ecg."

SD.

[The_Doc]

shed driver said:

The_Doc said:

Obligatory self deprecating joke:

"What's pink and gets hard in a surgeon's hands?"

"An ECG"

And from my field...

"what's the definition of a double blind study? Two orthopaedic consultants looking at an ecg."

SD.

And so in defense of my realm:
The Grand Round is making its way through the hospital, headed by the Prof with the team in tow. They all troop into a lift but the doors start closing before the junior house officer has even rounded the last corner.
The Orthopaedic consultant leans forward, and as the lift doors close and they shut on his head, before springing back open.
The houseman gets in and the doors close again fully.
As the lift ascends, the Prof says to the Orthopaedic consultant, "tell me Sir, why did you put your head in the lift doors? Why didn't you use your hands?"
"My hands?" Mr Ortho replies, "but I need them for my work."