ECG (Electrocardiography) gel

ECG (Electrocardiography) gel acts as a coupling between electrodes and the skin to aid transmission of electro activity. This gel can be used with all electrocardiography equipment. ECG gel is also becoming more commonly used with sports heart rate monitoring equipment to improve the quality of the signal transmitted to the recording device.

What is ECG ?

Electrocardiography (ECG) is an interpretation of the electrical activity of the heart over a period of time, as detected by electrodes attached to the outer surface of the skin and recorded by a device external to the body. The recording produced by this noninvasive procedure is termed as electrocardiogram. An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a test that records the electrical activity of the heart.

ECG is used to measure the rate and regularity of heartbeats, as well as the size and position of the chambers, the presence of any damage to the heart, and the effects of drugs or devices used to regulate the heart, such as a pacemaker. Most ECGs are performed for diagnostic or research purposes on human hearts, but may also be performed on animals, usually for diagnosis of heart abnormalities or research.

How does ECG work ?

The ECG device detects and amplifies the tiny electrical changes on the skin that are caused when the heart muscle depolarises during each heartbeat. At rest, each heart muscle cell has a negative charge. During each heartbeat, a healthy heart will have an orderly progression of a wave of depolarisation, this is detected as tiny rises and falls in the voltage between two electrodes placed either side of the heart which is displayed as a line either on a screen or on paper. This display indicates the overall rhythm of the heart and weaknesses in different parts of the heart muscle.

The ECG can identify if the heart muscle has been damaged in specific areas. The ECG cannot reliably measure the pumping ability of the heart, for which ultrasound-based (echocardiography) tests are used.