???
OK you have two waveforms.
what do they mean?
Does the amplitude of the pulse mean anything?
If the pulses are basicly all the same is that good?
What do the numbers on the right mean?
Is there a website that explains this?
Check out my link in this old thread for a good site on EKG’s.
I’m not sure if we’re on the same wavelength, but…
The first part of the waveform is the “p wave” and it indicates the electrical depolarization of the atria (upper heart chambers). The second, more prominent, part of the waveform is called the “QRS” complex and it represents the depolarization of the ventricles (the major cardiac chambers). The third and usually last part of the waveform is called the “T wave” and reflects the repolarization of the ventricles.
With practice, you can tell a lot about the heart by analysing these tracings.
The numbers on the right are probably showing the heart rate in beats per minute.
One side note – A perfectly normal EKG (or ECG if you will) does not mean you are not having a heart attack. An abnormal ECG that is not new for you, isint abnormal. Only a change that occurs that is new to you is it a bad thing.
oh, to try and answer a few of the above questions
The amplitude can mean something, it depends – many ECG’s have a setting to increase or decrease the size of the QRS complex – an extremely small or funky looking QRS means the setting is too small, or something “unusual” is happening during the depolarization of either the AV node, (hearts secondary pace maker) the bundle branches, (what takes the electrical impulse to the ventricles) or the ventricles themselves.
If all the P waves, QRS complexes, and T waves are the same, it just means that the electricity originates in the same place each time, and then it follows the same path each time
my guess would also be the number on the right is the pulse rate…only truly reliable if the pulse is regular
Go here: http://members.aol.com/docseven/ekg.html
or here: http://www.med.ufl.edu/medinfo/baseline/ekgithms.html
and here: http://www.mmip.mcgill.ca/heart/egcyhome.html
Hope it helps!
Thanks all.
Especially kinz. great sites.
Wow I didn’t realize it was so complicated.
I think I’ll go back to bed now.
*head spins while shutting down for the night