Simply abbreviated as ECG (EKG - American), the procedure measures very small electrical currents and their direction. The heart creates the electrical pulses so it will work in a uniform and organised manner. These currents can be detected on the skin by placing sticky dots or ECG electrodes on specific areas. Commonly these dots are placed on the shoulders, across the chest and on your shins. The ECG can provide important information about a person's heart rhythm, indications of a previous heart attack, portions of the heart muscle that may be thickened, problems with conduction of the electrical current through the heart and areas of inadequate oxygen supply to the heart muscle. This simple test is also very useful for a surgeon to review prior to an operation you may be about to undergo.

Good skin preparation is the important key to an ECG that is easy for the cardiologist to review. This may involve cleaning down the skin with an alcohol wipe or shaving hairs in the required areas. Once you are comfortable on the examination bed and the sticky dots have been placed, you will be required to remain very still for a brief period while the ECG machine takes a recording. The procedure is safe and painless, with most of the time involved with your preparation. The entire process will only take about 10 minutes, and is either done in a room in the suite, or in your hospital bed.