ABSTRACT:
Electrocardiogram is the body surface manifestation of the electrical potential produced by the heart. The ECG is acquired by placing electrodes on the patient’s skin. In a resting setting, the principal technical issue in interpreting ECG waveforms arises from the existence of ambient or background noise emanating from other electromagnetic sources including signals generated by the organs, muscles and systems of the body, whether from movement or the performance by those organs of their bodily functions, and signals generated by the sources external to the body, such as electronic equipment, lights or engines. In order to minimize ambient noise in the clinical setting, ECGs are normally taken in the hospital or physician offices. Cardiologists instruct the patient to lie in the supine position, being as still as possible while reading is taken to reduce the ambient noise caused by physical movement. Another method to reduce the ambient noise is to reduce the sensitivity of monitoring equipment, but this alternative result in loss of signal quality and the ability to read certain signal intricacies.