An electrocardiogram records the heart’s electrical activity from the skin. At Helix Advanced Medicine we perform EKGs in office so the result can change the visit. Our clinicians have had extensive training in reading ECGs. An EKG is a moment in time. A normal tracing does not rule out every heart problem. An abnormal tracing is not always an emergency.
When we obtain an EKG
- Palpitations, unexplained tachycardia or slow pulse
- Dizziness, near-fainting, or syncope in a stable patient
- Chest discomfort, shortness of breath, or suspected cardiac contribution to fatigue — when you are stable enough for clinic evaluation
- Baseline before certain medications, including drugs that can prolong the QT interval
- Hypertension, murmur, or risk-factor visits when a baseline tracing is useful
