What's an EKG?
The EKG measures the electrical rhythms of a patient's heart via small electrode patches that are attached to the patient's skin - usually on the chest, arms, and legs.
Each heartbeat includes 2 waves - the 'thump-thump' sound you hear when you listen to a heartbeat. By measuring the timing of these waves, doctors and healthcare providers can learn whether a patient's heartbeat is too fast, too slow, just right, or irregular, or if some parts of the heart are working harder than others.