Electrocardiogram and arrhythmias

Singh, Rajender; Murphy, Jeremy J.

doi:10.1016/j.mpaic.2009.04.017

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Volume 10, Issue 8 , Pages 381-384, August 2009

Electrocardiogram and arrhythmias

Rajender Singh MBBS MD MRCP is a Medical Registrar at County Durham & Darlington Foundation Trust, and is also an Honorary Research Associate at the Centre of Integrated Health Care Research, Durham University, UK. His research interest is heart failure. Conflicts of interest: none declared

Jeremy J Murphy MSc(Med Ed) MBBS DM FRCP is a Consultant Cardiologist at County Durham & Darlington Foundation Trust, and is also an Honorary Senior Lecturer at Durham University, UK. He qualified from London and trained in Manchester, Nottingham and Leicester. His research interest is heart failure. Conflicts of interest: none declared

Abstract

Introduced by Einthoven, electrocardiography remains the most common diagnostic procedure readily available to the physician in primary and secondary care. It is a graphical display of the electrical potential difference as it spreads through the heart and is recorded at the body surface. The electrocardiogram (ECG) is an indispensable tool to screen and monitor cardiac patients. Exercise ECG is used to diagnose coronary artery disease and ambulatory ECG to assess arrhythmias.

Keywords: atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, atrioventricular block, bradycardia, ECG waves and their variations, electrical impulse of the heart, tachycardia, ventricular tachycardia