Cardiogram is printed by a special device on film or paper. The graph shows the activity of the heart. All heart diseases are diagnosed using a cardiogram. With its help, you can observe the work of the circulatory system, the regularity and frequency of the heart rhythm, identify slowing down and blockade of blood conduction, find out if any of the heart tissues is subject to oxygen starvation, and also determine previously transferred aneurysms and heart attacks.
In addition, the decoding of the cardiogram allows you to determine the rate of contractions of the heart (pulse). The norm of a he althy heart of an adult at rest is 60-80 beats per minute. This makes it possible to detect phenomena such as flicker and flutter. With blinking, the pulse can reach 600 beats per minute, and with flutter - 400.
The principle of the ECG is that the cardiograph records lines of electrical voltage that pass from the heart throughout the body. The parameters of these waves characterize the state of the heart. Like any fluctuations, cardio waves have amplitude and magnitude, and the decoding of the cardiogram comes down to the fact that according to these indicatorsthe frequency and strength of relaxation and tension of the muscles of the heart is calculated. Based on these data, the diagnosis of the patient is built. The cardiogram of the heart has peaks when a certain muscle is tense, and a minimum amplitude when it is relaxed.
On the ECG it is customary to put the designations in the form of Latin letters, thanks to which the decoding of the cardiogram becomes more accessible and simple. Consider the meanings assigned to these letters.
P - determines the state of the atria.
PQ - a gap showing the moment when both atria are tense.
QRS - these abbreviations denote a fragment of an electrocardiogram, which shows the work of the ventricles of the heart.
Q - determines the level of activity of the upper lobes of the heart.
R - shows the activity of the outer ventricles and the lower part of the heart.
ST is one of the main indicators on the electrocardiogram. It reveals the activity of both ventricles of the heart. Experts pay special attention to the T value, which shows that the cells of the muscle tissue of the heart are in a normal state. It is on this characteristic of the ECG that the diagnosis is made.
The interval between P and Q is the time interval for the transfer of activity (that is, energy, force) from the atrium to the ventricle. In a he althy heart, it should be 0.12-0.1 seconds. And the QRS peaks should pass in a time interval of 0.06-0.1 seconds. Cardiodiagnostics is also based on this indicator.
The above were considered onlythe most basic characteristics that a cardiogram of the heart has. Deciphering it by specialists implies the use of more specific and in-depth parameters (separately for each muscle, valve and vessel of the heart). This allows for a more accurate diagnosis of the disease.
It should be remembered that the final interpretation of the cardiogram should be done exclusively by a specialist. If you have any knowledge of medicine, but not being a doctor, you can only see a superficial picture of the work of the heart on the ECG. Only a cardiologist can make a final diagnosis and prescribe treatment!
