An electrocardiogram (EKG) or (ECG), is a medical test that records the heart’s electrical activity. It’s one of the most administered tests in medicine and for cardiac patients.

An EKG gives medical professionals a glimpse into the heart’s activity to assess its health from that recorded data, including detecting heart abnormalities. These tests are performed in
hospitals, ambulances, doctor’s offices, and other medical care settings. EKG prep is done in
advance of the actual EKG monitoring.

EKG Benefits

ECG results are highly valuable to medical professionals and patients. The results can help save an individual’s life by identifying cardiac problems to be addressed.

The EKG procedure is safe for patients, non-invasive and relatively fast. An EKG checks the patient’s heart rate, rhythm, and the direction of heart electrical activity (called the heart axis), and rhythm disturbances.

Patient Self-Preparation for an EKG

As part of EKG prep, the patient is asked to lie down during the duration of an EKG test.
The administrator of the test will ask you to remain still and breathe in a normal fashion
while staying as relaxed as possible. After the test ends, the medical professional will review
the results, explain them to you, and advise on any necessary next steps.

Prior to initiating the test, there are some things you should do to ensure your comfort and an accurate and effective test. These include:

• Avoid topical products like oily skin creams, they make attaching electrodes to the skin difficult.
• If your ECG has been pre-scheduled it is recommended to shave your chest of any hair.
  This will ensure better adhesion of the electrodes and improve recording quality.
• Wear clothing that will allow the medical practitioner easy access to your chest, arms, and legs when attaching the electrodes.
• Depending on how much information your doctor is seeking about the activity of your
  heart, understand that the EKG will involve the placement of anywhere from 10 to 15
  electrodes on your body. They will be placed in strategic positions to obtain the best recording possible of the heart’s electrical activity.
• As you lay still on the bed, relax and breathe normally after EKG prep is complete so the EKG can record your heart in as normal a state as possible.

Medical Provider Preparation for Administering an EKG

Some of the EKG prep for medical professionals include:

• Know exactly where to place the electrodes on the patient’s body. It is important to place the electrodes in the exact positions required to obtain accurate results.
• Adjust the temperature in the examination room if necessary to ensure the patient is comfortable – not too cold and not too hot. If the room is too cold and the patient shivers, for example, the EKG may reflect inaccurate data.
• To ensure optimal electrode to skin contact, identify the locations for placing the
  electrodes and shave off all body hair from those places, and exfoliate the skin to remove dead skin cells and other debris.
• Use an alcohol wipe to remove lotions or other topicals to help ensure proper electrode to skin adhesion. After rubbing the wipes at the electrode locations on the patient, let them air dry.
• Once the electrode locations are prepared, the next step of EKG prep is to apply the
  electrodes to the patient. Check for proper adhesion. If there are any issues, make sure
  locations have been cleaned and dried properly.
• Connect the clips to the electrodes by utilizing the labels located on the EKG cables.
• For each lead wire, create a stress loop and tape the loop to the patient. These loops will prevent the lead wires from pulling on the electrode connection that would produce
  inaccuracies in the EKG data results.
• Before starting the test, ask the patient to move around in order to check the EKG quality on the monitor. Confirm the quality of the connection and that it stays clear for each lead. After this testing, ensure the patient is lying down, comfortable, and as relaxed as possible.
• As a final EKG prep step, verify the demographics, time, and date have all been properly inputted before starting any recording.

For information about the cardiology equipment and supplies we offer at Danlee Medical Products, Inc., give us a call today at 800.433.7797 or send us a message through our
contact form.