From the Guidelines
An electrocardiogram (ECG) result indicates the electrical activity of the heart, providing information about cardiac function, anatomy, and potential abnormalities, such as ischemia, injury, or conduction disorders. When interpreting an ECG, it is essential to analyze the different leads, including the frontal plane leads, to get a comprehensive understanding of the heart's electrical activity 1. The ECG can show normal P waves, QRS complexes, and T waves with appropriate intervals, or it can reveal abnormalities such as ST segment elevation or depression, T wave inversions, or abnormal QRS morphology 1. These findings can be indicative of various cardiac conditions, and their significance should be correlated with the patient's clinical presentation, including symptoms, medical history, and physical examination findings 1. Some patients, such as those with known coronary artery disease (CAD), may require exercise ECG testing to assess symptoms, ST-segment changes, exercise tolerance, arrhythmias, BP response, and event risk 1. However, exercise ECG testing has low diagnostic performance for the diagnosis of obstructive CAD, with low sensitivity (58%) and specificity (62%), and should mainly be used for risk stratification 1. In regions with limited access to functional imaging or coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA), or in individuals with a low pre-test likelihood of obstructive CAD, exercise ECG remains useful for risk stratification and prognostication 1. Key points to consider when interpreting an ECG result include:
- Analyzing the different leads to get a comprehensive understanding of the heart's electrical activity
- Correlating ECG findings with the patient's clinical presentation
- Using exercise ECG testing for risk stratification in selected patients
- Considering alternative diagnostic tests, such as CCTA, in patients with suspected obstructive CAD.
From the Research
ECG Result Indications
There are no research papers to assist in answering this question, as the provided studies focus on topics such as dentistry, electroconvulsive therapy, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, and treatment of depression and psychosis, but do not mention electrocardiogram (ECG) results.