Cardiac testing
ECG Electrocardiogram, a recording of the heart’s rhythm
Appointment
Under 15 minutes
Preparation
None required
Report
Within 24 hours
What an ECG is
An ECG records the electrical activity that drives each heartbeat. Small sticky electrodes are placed on the chest, arms and legs, and the machine draws the rhythm as a trace on paper or a screen.
It is quick, it is painless, and nothing is sent into the body. The electrodes only listen. You lie still for the recording itself.
An ECG shows the rhythm. An echocardiogram shows the structure. They answer different questions.
Why your doctor ordered one
An ECG is the first look at anything that feels like a rhythm problem.
- An irregular pulse, which is how atrial fibrillation is usually first caught.
- The sensation of a skipped or extra beat.
- Palpitations, or a heartbeat you have become aware of.
A rhythm that comes and goes can be missed by a single recording. That is not a failure of the test; it is why longer monitoring exists.
How to prepare
No preparation is needed.
- Eat, drink and take your medications as usual.
- Avoid heavy lotions or creams on your chest on the day of the test.
- A two-piece outfit makes the electrodes easier to place.
Lotions and creams are the only real preparation: they stop the electrodes sticking properly, which shows up as noise on the trace.
What happens on the day
An ECG takes under 15 minutes. It is the quickest test the clinic performs.
The recording is taken by a medical office assistant. Ten small electrodes are placed on the chest, arms and legs, the machine records for a few seconds while you lie still, and the electrodes come straight off again.
Nothing is injected and nothing is swallowed. The only thing you may notice is the electrodes being peeled off.
What happens afterwards
The trace is reviewed by a cardiologist, and the report is turned around within 24 hours.
Testing and specialist review sit in the same clinic, so the recording does not have to travel between one building and another before somebody reads it. That is why the turnaround on an ECG is measured in hours rather than days.
- Recorded in under 15 minutes.
- Read by a cardiologist, in the clinic that recorded it.
- Reported to the doctor who referred you within 24 hours.
Getting a referral
Ask your family doctor for a referral
You need a referral from a family physician or nurse practitioner.
Horizons Cardiopulmonary Diagnostics sees adult patients aged 18 and over.
Referring providers: referral forms and our current wait times are available on our referrals page.