An Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG, abbreviated from the German Electrocardiogram) is a graphic produced by an electrocardiograph, which records the electrical activity of the heart over time. Its name is made of different parts: electro, because it is related to electrical activity, cardio, Greek for heart, gram, a Greek root meaning "to write". In the US, the abbreviation "EKG" is often preferred over "ECG", while "ECG" is used universally in the UK and many other countries. An ECG is an electrical recording of the heart and is used in the investigation of heart disease.

Electrical impulses in the heart originate in the sinoatrialnode and travel through the heart muscle where they cause contraction. The electrical waves can be measured at selectively placed electrodes (electrical contacts) on the skin. Electrodes on different sides of the heart measure the activity of different parts of the heart muscle. An ECG displays the voltage between pairs of these electrodes, and the muscle activity that they measure, from different directions, also understood as vectors. This display indicates the overall rhythm of the heart, and weaknesses in different parts of the heart muscle. It is the particularly abnormal rhythms caused by damage to the conductive tissue that carries electrical signals, or abnormal rhythms caused by levels of dissolved salts (electrolytes), such as potassium.

It is a graphic display of the electrical activity of the heart. An ECG may be done as part of a routine physical exam. It may be repeated any time there are questions about the working of your heart.

In myocardial infarction (MI), the ECG can identify damaged heart muscle. But it can only identify damage to muscle in certain areas, so it can not rule out damage in other areas.

The ECG cannot reliably measure the pumping ability of the heart; for which ultrasound-based (echocardiography) or nuclear medicine tests are used.

You will be brought to the ECG department in the centre. The technician will ask you to take off your clothing from the waist up, put on a gown, and lie down on a small bed. The technician will place a small electrode (a small self-sticking plastic patch) on each of your arms and legs and across six areas on your chest. You need to lie still for the minute or two that it takes the machine to make a record.

Asia Lab offers a wide range of quality assured clinical investigation services using the latest technology, state of art equipments and testing facilities manned by experienced / trained doctors and technicians.