I Had My Ecg Today

[mikey4444]

It took longer for the Nurse to attach all the electrodes, than the test itself !

What will my Doc be able to ascertain from this ?

( I have another type of test, the ultrasound one planned soon )

[vortex]

That you are very thick-skinned? :-)

Hope all goes well Mikey.

[mikey4444]

I am, and thank you Vortex !

[Peter Pedant]

and did it show you had one ?
hur hur hur

no but seriously .....

ECG and US is not usually wheeled out unless you have had - symptoms
so tell us what they were
and we wil ltell you what they want to see

short answer for ECG - is rate rhythm axis P waves, QRS complezes and the progression across the chest leads

US that is next weeks lesson

if you want read Schamroth and then you will learn what an ECG tells you ( I did the first but it is now up to eighth editon)

and hey there looks ass tho there is a version on the interet free !

[mikey4444]

Peter....all this is because the Doc detected a heart murmur just after Xmas. The Xray was clear.

[wolf63]

I've had a couple - did they make you unclasp your bra?

[vortex]

^ Snigger

[mikey4444]

No Vortex....the Nurse kept hers firmly on !

[vortex]

Oooo matron!

[Sqad]

With your history, the ECG would show if there is any irregularity or evidence of coronary insufficiency to account for your murmur and the ultrasound would identify which valve was involved.
In a nutshell, is your heart murmur innocent as is probably the case OR is a valve not functioning, which valve, why and do you need treatment..................you probably wont.

[mikey4444]

Thanks Sqad !

But if the murmur is not caused by a faulty valve, what could cause it ? .....What "innocent" cause in other words ?

I do get a bit short of breath when walking uphill, or very fast. I never used to to.

[Peter Pedant]

they will wish to see which valve is leaking
( on the numbers game it is very likely to be MVR )

and whether it is serious ( ejection fraction)

it should be around 50%

miine is 35% so you can have a pretty crap ejection fraction and still be alive

Sqad as a student used to have to do all this wid just a stethscope. But as Hugh Leather once censor of the Royal College said - of the 35 whoops murmurs and clicks " look the victorians had nothng to do except listen to the heart and if THEY didnt hear it -it probably isnt really there"

but there is a book Aubrey Leatham
Auscultation of the Heart
you may wish to peruse

[Sqad]

Innocent means that there is no structural damage to the heart or valves........it really hasn't been explained scientifically, but to me (sqad) it is the blood "sloshing" around the chambers of the heart and through the valves. Not very scientific......but they are the facts.
The shortness of breath may be due to many reasons...your'e getting fat, might be heart valve problems ....might be.....might be.....lets wait until the ECG and Ultrasound results are seen by a specialist.

[vortex]

If it is any help I could rule out one cause. It wasn't seeing Dianne Abbott on your TV.

[mikey4444]

Once again....many thanks Sqad and Peter !

[Peter Pedant]

// But if the murmur is not caused by a faulty valve, what could cause it ? .....What "innocent" cause in other words ?//

innocent - not associated with pathology ( = shortened life ) o jesus there used to be six i children of which embarassigly I can only recollect one - venous hum

see here

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/More/HeartValveProblemsandDisease/Innocent-Heart-Murmur_UCM_450621_Article.jsp#.WJyOjW-LR0w

I think yours is very likely to be 'not serious' rather than innocent

[Bazile]

By the way Vortex - are you the same as ~vortex~ ?