MEDICAL TESTS FOR CHILDREN: ECG AND EEG

Electrocardiogram (ECG)

An electrocardiogram, or ECG, is a recording of the electrical impulses of the heart. These impulses are what makes the heart beat in a regular rhythm. To make such a record, an ECG machine is attached to the patient with electrodes, metal plates that are placed on the arms, legs, and chest. These electrodes pick up the electrical impulses that move through the body. The impulses cause a needle in the machine to move on a piece of paper, as the paper moves through the machine. Where the needle touches the paper, it makes a line. The physician studies the pattern on the paper to see if the heart rhythm is normal.

The ECG does not hurt the patient, but it is important for the patient to stay very still while the recording is done.- All muscle movements, not just movements of the heart muscle, are caused by electrical impulses. Therefore, any movement can affect the ECG recording and give an inaccurate picture of the heartbeat.

An ECG is done to check for irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias), an enlarged heart, heart valve disorders, heart malformations, and many other heart disorders. The test can be done in a doctor’s surgery or an out-patient laboratory.

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

An electroencephalogram, or EEG, is a recording of electrical activity in the brain. It is a painless procedure similar to an ECG. The metal plates known as electrodes are attached to the patient’s head and to an EEG machine. The electrodes pick up the brain’s electrical impulses. These impulses activate a needle, which traces the pattern of the impulses on a piece of paper moving through the machine. The physician compares the pattern on the recording to patterns of normal brain activity, and determines if there is an abnormality. Recordings from opposite sides of the brain can also be compared to see if the patterns match.

An EEG is done to test for epilepsy, brain tumours, encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), and other brain disorders.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 28th, 2009 at 10:09 am and is filed under General Health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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