Can an EKG Diagnose a Heart Attack?
An EKG can play a key role in diagnosing a heart attack by detecting changes in the heart’s electrical activity that indicate damage to the heart muscle. During a heart attack, the heart muscle is deprived of oxygen, causing certain areas to stop conducting electrical impulses normally. These changes show up as abnormalities in the EKG waveform, such as elevations or depressions in the ST segment or abnormal T waves. This information allows doctors to diagnose an ongoing heart attack or to identify a heart attack that has occurred in the past.
While an EKG is a critical tool in diagnosing heart attacks, it is often combined with other tests, such as blood tests (to check for cardiac enzymes) or imaging, for a more comprehensive diagnosis. In some cases, especially in early stages of a heart attack, EKG findings might be normal, so further evaluation is necessary. Nonetheless, an EKG remains one of the most accessible and rapid methods to detect heart attacks and assess the overall health of the heart.
