Search the Internet for an animation of an electrocardiogram (EKG) being generated as a heart is beating. Draw a picture of an EKG, labeling the peaks and valleys as they correspond to the diff erent parts of the heart muscle as it contracts. Explain how you think an EKG is used to determine what part of a heart muscle has been damaged as a result of a heart attack.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

An EKG is a test that measures the electrical activity of the heartbeat. With each beat of the heart, an electrical impulse travels from the top of the heart to the bottom, causing the heart muscle to squeeze and, therefore, pump blood from the heart. The EKG shows
the timing of this impulse of the top and lower chambers of the heart. The upper chambers make the fi rst wave, called a “P wave,” followed by a fl at line as the electrical impulse goes to the bottom chambers. The right and left bottom chambers, or ventricles, make the next wave called a QRS complex. The fi nal wave, or T wave, represents electrical recovery
or return to a resting state for the ventricles. By doing this type of test, a physician can determine if the electrical activity of a heart is normal, irregular, slow, or fast. By measuring the amount of electrical activity passing through the heart muscle, the physician may fi nd out if parts of the heart are too large or are overworked.