Electrocardiogram (EKG)

At Clínica Hispana Nueva Salud Gessner the electrocardiogram (EKG) is done during your visit: electrodes placed on your chest, arms and legs record your heart's electrical activity in a few minutes, painlessly. We order it for palpitations or high blood pressure, during checkups, and when a job, a sport or a surgery requires a heart screening.

What can an EKG show?

• Whether your heart beats in a regular rhythm or has an arrhythmia
• Whether the rate is too fast or too slow
• Signs that the heart muscle is under strain, common after years of high blood pressure
• Changes that suggest the heart isn't getting enough oxygen
• A baseline to compare against at future checkups

How should I prepare?

No fasting is needed. A two-piece outfit helps, since your chest has to be uncovered, and skipping lotions or oils on your skin that day keeps the electrodes from slipping. If you take medication for blood pressure, your heart or your thyroid, bring the names written down.

What happens during the test?

You lie on your back on the exam table while our medical staff attaches the adhesive electrodes. During the recording you just stay still and breathe normally; talking or moving can blur the tracing. The machine sends no electricity into your body, it only reads what your heart produces. Then the electrodes come off and you can go on with your day.

Who reviews the tracing, and what comes next?

The medical team interprets the tracing and explains what it shows in plain language, alongside your blood pressure and symptoms. If it's normal, it works for your paperwork or as a reference. If something needs a closer look, we lay out the next steps, which may include blood tests and, when the result calls for it, a referral to a specialist.

Important: if you have severe chest pain spreading to your arm or jaw, shortness of breath or a cold sweat, call 911 instead of coming to the clinic.

A routine EKG fits into an evening stop on the way home, since we see patients until 9 PM, weekends included.