Have you heard of these two highly reliable and patient-friendly cardiac assessments: the echocardiogram and the electrocardiogram, or EKG? Both deliver valuable but distinctly different information to PCPs and cardiologists. Here’s how each test works and how one differs from the other.
What Is an Echocardiogram?
An echocardiogram (echo) is a cardiac diagnostic assessment thatuses high-frequency sound waves (sonography) to create real-time video and still pictures of the heart. The most common kinds of echocardiograms–usually performed on an outpatient basis–are:
- The TEE, or transesophageal echo, involves the passage of a slender transducer down the throat to send sound waves into the chest cavity
- The TTE, or transthoracic echo, which employs a handheld transducer to send sound waves through the chest wall to the heart
- The stress echocardiogram, which allows a healthcare provider to view heart structure and function during physical activity
Echocardiograms deliver a wealth of information about the heart, including:
- The size and shape of the heart and its chambers
- A measure of the thickness of the muscular walls of the heart
- Blood flow into and out of the heart
- Aneurysms, the thinning of artery walls, including the aorta
- Congenital heart defects
- Tumors in the heart
- Blood clots
- Infections of the heart
Echocardiograms take about 30 minutes to complete and are extremely patient-friendly. If you are having a stress echocardiogram or a transesophageal echocardiogram, you may be asked to fast food and drinks for a limited time before your test.
What Is an Electrocardiogram?
An electrocardiogram (EKG) is the in-office assessment that tells your doctor about the rhythm and rate of your heart. The EKG machine detects and records the electrical activity of the heart via electrodes and wires placed on the chest, arms, and legs. These electrical impulses travel via the heart’s system of nerve pathways and nodes–specifically, the sinus and AV nodes. An EKG also reveals the thickness of the heart’s chambers.
The EKG takes just three minutes but can tell a doctor about cardiac problems, including heart attack (ongoing or in the past), arrhythmias, heart failure, and more. Combined with an echocardiogram, the EKG reveals heart defects, disease, electrical problems, blood flow, and much more.
Echocardiograms and EKGs in Irmo, SC
SC Internal Medicine Associates & Rehabilitation is a primary care practice that offers a range of diagnostic tools to assess health and wellness, including echocardiogram. We provide a caring and compassionate environment for all our patients. We will carefully walk you through what each test or scan will entail and assist you throughout.
To schedule your echo or EKG test, call our office today at (803) 749-1111 or use our convenient online appointment request form.
