Basic ECG interpretation
Only a real health professional can interpret an electrocardiogram or ECG result. However, enough knowledge on ECG can help you make basic interpretations. Below is how health professionals interpret electrocardiography waves:
The first small spike you will see is called the P wave. It represents the contraction of the atria or the upper chambers of the heart.
The space between the P wave and another wave called the R wave is known as the PR interval. This represents the time between the electrical signal of atria contraction and the signal of ventricle contraction.
The R wave (represented by tall spikes) is in between a small dip called the Q wave and another small dip called the S wave. Together, the QRS complex (Q, R, and S waves) demonstrates the activation of the left and right ventricles of the heart.
On the other hand, the T wave represents the resetting (or repolarization) of electrically charged cells in the ventricles. This resetting occurs during the contraction of the ventricles, masking the signals so they will not appear on the waveform. When resetting finishes, the entire cycle repeats.
Similar to that of the PR interval, the waveform from the end of the QRS complex to the starting point of the T wave is called the ST segment. The waveform from the starting point of the QRS complex to the end of the T wave is called the QT interval.
When reading the ECG, the height of the waves denotes electrical signal strength and the overlap of the opposing signals. The space between the waves represents the time it takes for the signal to pass through your heart.
By comparing your heart's electrical signal pattern to that of the normal signal pattern through the use of the ECG, health professionals can easily identify heart problems.
ECG provides detailed information on ECG, ECG Course, ECG Cross Reference, ECG Semiconductors and more. ECG is affiliated with EKG Interpretation.
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