>> It means "electrocardiogram".
>>
>> I just had one.

> Great, why?

I keep having random chest pains for no defined reason. Presumably my 
doctor wants to check it's not due to a life-threatening heart condition.

>> I was expecting them to use metal electrodes and electrolytic gel, but 
>> actually the nurse got out a sheet of card, peeled about a dozen 
>> stickers off of it and started sticking them to me like I was a stamp 
>> book. :-| Obviously several around my ribcage, but oddly enough also 
>> around my various extremities... presumably so they have something to 
>> measure the potential difference against.

> No, the extremity leads (Einthoven (and Goldberger) leads) are the 
> oldest ones (about 1903) and still used very much for the diagnosis. The 
> six precordial ones were added later to improve diagnosis by looking are 
> more local phenomena.

I still find it astonishing that they can build an amplifying powerful 
enough and sensitive enough to detect the absurdly small electrical 
currents, diluted across vast distances in space, and yet *not* pick up 
the sea of EM interference in the room... Pretty amazing stuff!

> wimp

Er, yes...?

>> I didn't actually get to see the trace myself, 
> 
> Do you think you could judge it yourself?

No. I'm just curios. (Personally I wouldn't even know a T wave from a U 
wave...)

>> but the nurse reconned it looked quite normal. 
> 
> I bet she says that to all the boys.

THAT'S WHAT *SHE* SAID!

>> The fun part, of course, is *removing* all the stickers. 
> 
> Indeed it is. I do 65 lead ECG with double adhesive tape. \o/

o_O

> I have electrodes all around the upper body. I regularly shave the front 
> and sometimes even the back of very hairy men.

TMI?

>> Still, it could have been worse - if I needed an EEG, I really would 
>> have to shave. O_O
> 
> No, they generally use very different electrodes.

Sure. But I'd imagine you still need to shave your head to get them 
anywhere near your scalp.

What gets me is the people who try to *sleep* wearing those things...

>> And fortunately, no blood samples required! :-D (Why do they always 
>> have to take blood samples from the most tender parts of your anatomy? 
>> Why not your finger or something? I'm sure it's the same blood...)
>>
> 1) they do the finger for diabetes testing and also for testing at the 
> blood bank.
> 2) In don't know where you think they take blood, and possibly don't 
> want to know. In my experience it is mostly from the arms.

Yeah - the soft, tender part in your elbow. What, they couldn't find 
anywhere more painful? :-S

-- 
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*

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