Question

Doctors often use an electrocardiogram (EKG) reading to see if there is something wrong with how a person's heart is beating. An EKG is a type of graph that "draws" the pumping activity of the heart. How might graphing the heartbeat help a doctor to tell if there is a problem?

Answer 1

The graph records every electrical phase of the heartbeat, and each beat is triggered by pacemaker cells. A EKG not only records the electrical phase, but it records the strength and timing of every impulse generated from the upper right chamber of the heart. Each of these recordings can be quickly and easily evaluated to determine whether or not there is an abnormality but this can only be recorded if the abnormality is recorded during the test.