Electrocardiography (EKG)

As an inpatient at Halifax Health Medical Center, a patient's physician may order an EKG test to determine the electrical activity in his/her heart. Small patches (electrodes) are attached to the patient's chest, arms and legs which are then connected to the EKG machine using lead wires. The EKG machine produces a printout or tracing that the physician can compare to a normal tracing of the heart to determine if the patient is suffering from any problems such as enlarged heart, reduced blood flow to the heart, a disturbance in the heart's electrical system, an electrolyte imbalance, an inflammation or infection of the sac surrounding the heart, valve disease or chest trauma.