This activity seeks to provide a general understanding of the ECG mechanisms, interpretation techniques, and commonly encountered ECG findings.Ī basic understanding of cardiac anatomy and coronary distribution is essential to understand the electrocardiographic findings. Errors in the analysis can lead to misdiagnosis resulting in delaying the appropriate treatment. Many health-care providers find the advanced interpretation of ECG findings a complicated task. Cardiovascular disease, as the number one cause of death, puts a great emphasis on health-care providers to develop skills and knowledge in interpreting ECGs to provide the best care promptly. Also, EKG serves as a research tool for surveillance and experimental trials of drugs with recognized cardiac effects. ECG is increasingly being used for monitoring of patients on antiarrhythmics and other drugs, as an integral part of preoperative assessment of patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery, and for screening individuals in high-risk occupations and those who are participating in sports. ĮCG is a non-invasive diagnostic modality that has a substantial clinical impact on investigating the severity of cardiovascular diseases. ECG was soon recognized as a robust screening and a clinical diagnostic tool, and today it is used globally in almost every healthcare setting. William Einthoven was named the 'father of electrocardiography' and was awarded Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1924 for his hard work that laid the foundation of the most fundamental technique of investigating heart disorders. Many arrhythmias and EKG changes associated with angina and atherosclerosis were identified by 1910. In 1902, the Dutch physician Einthovan invented ECG, and his tremendous input in the clinical studies for about ten years led to full recognition of the clinical potential of the technique. The word ECG derives from the German language. The electrocardiogram (abbreviated as ECG or EKG) represents an electrical tracing of the heart and is recorded non-invasively from the surface of the body.

Free printable ekg practice test