Provocation tests (ajmaline, flecainide, adrenaline and adenosine tests)

Provocation tests (ajmaline, flecainide, adrenaline and adenosine tests) You may be asked to have this test if your doctor suspects Brugada syndrome. While you are having an ECG test you will be given an injection of ajmaline or flecainide (antiarrhythmic drugs). The test may show changes on the ECG that are typical of one of […]

Signal averaged ECG

Signal averaged ECG This is an ECG that adds together the electrical readings from at least 250 heartbeats so that any very subtle variations can be seen – for example if the electrical impulses in the heart are being conducted more slowly. It is useful for diagnosing Brugada syndrome, unhealthy progressive cardiac conduction defect (PCCD) […]

How the heart works and how it can cause a blackout or cardiac arrest

In order to understand why blackouts and cardiac arrests can happen, it helps to understand how the heart works. The heart is a specialised muscle that contracts regularly and continuously, pumping blood to the body and the lungs. The pumping action is caused by a flow of electricity through the heart that repeats itself in […]