— For patients —
Echo or ECG: what’s the difference?
An ECG records the electrical activity of your heart. An echocardiogram (echo) is an ultrasound scan that shows the heart’s structure and how well it is pumping. They answer different questions, so your doctor may ask for one, the other, or both.
What an ECG measures
An electrocardiogram (ECG) uses small sticky electrodes on your chest, arms and legs to record the electrical signals that make your heart beat. It takes a few minutes. It shows your heart rate and rhythm, and it can show signs of an irregular heartbeat, such as atrial fibrillation, or changes that suggest the heart is under strain.
What an echocardiogram shows
An echocardiogram uses ultrasound, the same technology used in pregnancy scans, to create moving images of your heart. It shows the size of the heart’s chambers, the thickness of the heart muscle, how well the heart squeezes and relaxes, and how the valves open and close. A colour flow technique shows the direction and speed of blood moving through the heart, which helps show whether a valve is leaking or narrowed.
A standard transthoracic echocardiogram takes approximately 30 to 45 minutes. There is no radiation involved.
Why you might have both
The two tests complement each other. An ECG can suggest that something needs a closer look, and an echo can then show whether the heart’s structure or pumping is involved. During your echo, small ECG stickers also record your heart rhythm, so the images can be matched to each heartbeat. This trace is part of the scan, not a separate ECG test.
At Melbourne Echo Clinic
We currently provide transthoracic echocardiograms (TTE), the standard ultrasound scan of the heart. We don’t currently offer stress echocardiography, bubble studies, or contrast studies. Your report goes to the doctor who referred you, and they’ll discuss the results with you.