ECG and ergometry clinic
ECG is one of the oldest diagnostic methods. Despite the development of medicine and the development of other numerous diagnostic protocols, ECG is today still irreplaceable. It records the electrical activity of the heart at rest. In this way, various arrhythmias can be detected, as well as other heart diseases.
In the ECG record, we analyze the cardiac axis, heart rate, rhythm, the presence of arrhythmias, but also other structural changes of the heart such as hypertrophy (thickening) of the heart muscle walls, infarction or disorders of the conduction of heart impulses.
In order to record the ECG, we will ask you to strip down to your waist. During the recording, you will be lying down, and the procedure itself is short and painless. Our nurse/technician will place the electrodes necessary for the recording itself on the chest, as well as arms and legs. The recording is ready immediately and the doctor will read it after the scan.
It is a method of recording the electrical activity of the heart over 24 hours, but it can be extended to 48 to 72 hours. The device itself is small and is worn around the waist. Electrodes that record the heartbeat are glued to the chest. It is very useful in detecting occasional arrhythmias, which is very difficult to detect with a regular ECG.
While wearing the Holter monitor, it is important to engage in your usual activities as if you were not wearing it. The only thing you should not do is bathe or shower. We will ask you to keep an activity diary in which it is important to enter activities (running, lying down, sleeping...), especially if you have experienced some problems during the day such as chest pain, dizziness and palpitations or heart rate skips. It is also important to write down the medicines you are taking and the time you took them. If there is something that causes you problems, do not avoid it while wearing the Holter. It is advisable not to avoid stressful situations in order to register a possible rhythm disorder that occurs in such circumstances. To the setup of the device, come in a two-piece outfit, because you will have to remove the top; women can keep on their brassiere. Do not apply lotions and creams to the skin before the examination. To improve electrode contact and reduce interference, some patients are advised to shave the chest area. The duration of the Holter placement is 10 minutes, and the findings will be read over several days.
Continuous arterial pressure measurement or popularly called Blood pressure Holter is a non-invasive method of measuring arterial pressure. Blood pressure is measured continuously at specified time intervals (20 minutes during the day, 40 minutes during the night) over 24 hours. This way, valuable insight into the values of resting pressure, exertion and sleep is gained, which is much more detailed than the blood pressure log, and especially from the one-time measurement in the infirmary. It is especially important because it helps detect patients with white coat hypertension or masking hypertension and provides insight into the response to treatment with antihypertensive medication. The blood pressure Holter is worn over the shoulder and connected to the arm with a pressure gauge cuff. While wearing the Holter, the patient engages in normal physical activities, chores and should not avoid his usual (un)healthy habits.
For the examination itself, it is necessary to put on a shirt with wider sleeves (to fit the pressure gauge sleeve) and keep an activity log. You can stay in an undershirt or a T-shirt. During the 24-hour examination the patient must not shower. At the moment when the pressure gauge lights up and starts to inflate the cuff, it is necessary to calm down and stretch out your hand.
It is very important to record your activities in the activity log during the day, the time when you performed them (meal time, taking medication, name and dose of the drug, time and duration of driving in the car because the car interferes with the measurement and these measurements are not authentic), as well as the time of going to sleep and the exact time of waking up and the impact of CAPM on sleep quality.
The duration of the Holter placement is ten minutes, and the reading will take place in a few days.
Ergometry or stress test is a diagnostic test that records the electrical activity of the heart under stress (walking on a treadmill). This way, it indirectly reveals how the flow through the coronary arteries is in physical exertion, and arrhythmias can be detected.
The examination is performed by gluing electrodes that record cardiac activity to the chest, and a pressure gauge armband is placed on the upper arm to measure arterial pressure. After the initial ECG recording, you will be walking on a treadmill through several stages of stress (depending on age, height, weight and physical condition), followed by rest. During the entire examination, an ECG record is recorded and the arterial pressure is regularly checked.
On the day of the test, it is necessary to dress comfortably, drink your medication. It is not desirable to eat two hours before the examination, but it is not necessary to be fasting. Before the examination, do not drink coffee, smoke, or lubricate the body with creams. All medical documentation must be presented at the test. The examination takes 30 to 40 minutes, and the findings are completed when the examination is completed.
