ECG

I had an ECG this past Wed. and this is the result:



Test Reason : I48.0
Blood Pressure : **/** mmHG
Vent. Rate : 066 BPM Atrial Rate : 066 BPM
P-R Int : 216 ms QRS Dur : 086 ms
QT Int : 408 ms P-R-T Axes : 050 -16 053 degrees
QTc Int : 427 ms
Sinus rhythm with 1st degree AV block
Borderline Inferior infarct PATTERN, , age undetermined
Borderline ECG
Referred By: SELF-REFER PHYS Confirmed By:Michael Lehmann MD

I looked back at my results from past years and always had normal results. My EP listened to my heart, asked if I had any shortness of breath (I don't) and that was that. I just went to my online site with the Doctor/hospital and saw my test results posted, I find this a little unsettling, anybody have any ECGs that aren't quite normal?

Liz

If you have an ECG machine say your recording is perfectly normal, give yourself a gold star because nobody else sees that. I have never seen a "normal" report despite having a whole lot of normal ECGs.

That's actually a pretty normal ECG. The only concern is the 1st degree AV block and that's why your doc asked you about symptoms. Since you have none, he appropriately wrote it off to the nonsense ECG machines spew out.

Pay no attention to the diagnostics that ECG machines produce. Trust me, cardiologists don't. That ECG is nothing to be concerned about.

Carey:

Thank you so much, you lifted a cloud. I have a pacemaker because of the 1st degree heart block.

Liz

Hi Liz,
I had my first ever abnormal ECG a couple of months ago and like you, I wanted to understand what the results meant. I asked my cardiologist and was told "nothing to be concerned with". I contacted my EP and was told "we'll let you know if there's ever a concern ". I trusted them but really wanted to know what all that verbiage on the results page meant. It meant nothing alarming to them, but scared me!! It was like I was being told to shut up and sit down. At my next follow-up appt I was scheduled to see my EP's PA. I explained to her how I felt I was being treated and she took the time to review every detail of the abnormal ECGs and explained why it was nothing to be alarmed about. Although the answer was the same (sort of don't call us, we'll call you), she was understanding and compassionate. Just what this 66yo girl needed!
Thanks for your post! I'm glad I'm not alone! I love this forum!

My wife's last ECG was littered with abnormalities because the technician only entered the first digit of her age. So the machine dutifully reported SERIOUS problems for a pediatric, 4-year old heart.

Don't trust what the computer annotates. Yes, the docs should spend more time explaining but you can probably get a pretty good answer around here.