Your child will lie on a bed or examination table.
Special stickers called leads or electrodes are placed on the
skin of his arms, legs, and chest. They may feel a little cold at
first.
The leads pick up the electrical activity in the heart and
send the information to the EKG machine.
The EKG machine takes the information and makes it into a line
drawing on paper called an electrocardiograph.
EKGs only take five to ten minutes to do.
What care will my child need after the EKG?
No special care is needed.
What do the results mean?
The EKG is ready right away.
Your doctor will need time to look at it and decide what it
means.
If your child's EKG is abnormal, it can mean that his
heart has a problem. The problem needs to be treated.
When should I call the doctor?
Call your doctor if you have any questions or concerns about
your childís problem.
Quick Answers
An EKG is also called an ECG. It stands for
electrocardiogram.
It measures the electrical activity in your childís
heart.
It is usually done to see if your child's heart has a
problem.
EKGs are painless.
Special stickers called leads are placed on the skin. The
leads pick up the information from the heart and bring it to the
EKG machine. The machine then makes a line drawing on paper.
If your child's EKG is abnormal, it can mean that his
heart has a problem.
Call your doctor when you have any questions about your
childís condition.
References
KidsHealth for Parents. EKG (Electrocardiography). 2001 June.
(cited 2002 August 22). URL:
http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/general/sick/ekg.html
WebMD Health. Electrocardiography. 2000 July 1. (cited 2002
August 22). URL:
http://my.webmd.com/encyclopedia/article/1675.55566
What You Need To Know About. Heart Disease/Cardiology. The
electrocardiogram (ECG, or EKG). 2002. (cited 2002 August 22).
URL: http://heartdisease.about.com/library/blecg.htm
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