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So
Just What Do All Those Funny Squiggles Mean?
Almost everyone knows what a basic EKG tracing looks like.
But what does it mean?
The
first little upward notch of the EKG tracing is called the
"P wave." The P wave indicates that the atria
(the two upper chambers of the heart) are contracting to
pump out blood.
The
next part of the tracing is a short downward section connected
to a tall upward section. This next part is called the "QRS
complex." This part indicates that the ventricles (the
two lower chambers of the heart) are contracting to pump
out blood.
The
next short upward segment is called the "ST segment."
The ST segment indicates the amount of time from the end
of the contraction of the ventricles to the beginning of
the rest period before the ventricles begin to contract
for the next beat.
The
next upward curve is called the "T wave." The
T wave indicates the resting period of the ventricles.
When
your physician studies your EKG, he/she looks at the size
and length of each part of the EKG. Variations in size and
length of the different parts of the tracing may be significant.
The tracing for each lead of a 12-lead EKG will look different,
but will have the same basic components as described above.
Each lead of the 12-lead EKG is "looking" at a
specific part of the heart, so variations in a lead may
indicate a problem with the part of the heart associated
with a particular lead.
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