![]() ![]() For example, they may perform an echocardiogram, which uses sound waves (ultrasound) to produce images of the heart and blood vessels’ structures on a screen. Electrolyte disorders: Changes to the heart’s electrochemicals that can be caused by medicationsĪt Norton Children’s Heart Institute, pediatric cardiologists often combine EKGs with other tests to get a more complete picture of the cause of a child’s heart issue.Cardiomyopathy: Abnormalities in the heart muscle.Ischemia: Blood supply that is lower than it should be.Ventricular hypertrophy: An abnormal thickening of the heart muscle.Physicians can use an EKG to diagnose four types of heart damage: The board-certified and fellowship-trained specialists at Norton Children’s Heart Institute use EKGs to look for heart rates that are too slow or too fast, abnormal rhythms and inconsistent rhythms between the upper and lower heart chambers. The patient’s underlying heart rhythm should the patient have any symptoms (such as palpitations or chest pain).The slowest, fastest and average heart rates over the recording period.Abnormalities that come and go, causing periods of irregular, fast or slow heart rhythms that might not be seen on a 10-second EKG.A Holter monitor can help find out many different things about the heart rhythm, such as: Holter monitor: This type of EKG uses fewer skin electrodes than the routine EKG but can record the heart rhythm for a much longer time, up to 48 hours.During this test, 12 to 15 electrode patches are placed on the chest, arms and legs. For best results, the patient should stay still while the EKG machine records the heart. It can provide detailed information about the underlying heart rhythm at the time of the recording and evidence for other conditions that might affect how the heart is functioning. ![]() This type of EKG evaluates the heart from 12 to 15 different directions at the same time. Routine EKG: The most common type of EKG records the heart’s electrical activity for 10 seconds.Heart damage: The consistency of the waves can show if there is damage in the heartĭifferent types of EKG tests can provide important information as to how a child’s heart is working.Heart function: The shape of the waves shows electrical impulses, the heart’s size and how well the various parts of the heart work together.Heart rhythm: The distance between the waves.Heart rate: The number of waves per minute.The height, length and frequency of the waves show important information, such as: The EKG produces a graph that shows the heart’s activity in several waves. The technician or doctor may ask the child to get up and briefly exercise. Once the technician starts the EKG, the test takes about a minute. The child’s skin should not have any baby oil or lotion on it, so the adhesive on the electrodes can stick. The electrodes are painless and attached to the child’s chest with sticky pads. The EKG can show the heart’s rhythm, as well as the size of its chambers and their position.Įlectrodes with wires are used to capture the heartbeat information. The specialists at Norton Children’s Heart Institute, affiliated with the UofL School of Medicine, perform EKGs at multiple locations around Louisville and Southern Indiana so you and your child can stay close to home for this routine test. An electrocardiogram, also called an ECG or EKG, is a quick and painless test that measures the heart’s electrical activity. ![]()
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