Recognizing a standard 12-lead ecg may seem simple at first. Actually, being able to interpret and diagnose different cardio-vascular pathology based on an ecg is an art. The art of interpretation when it comes to conduction abnormalities, atrial or ventricular hypertrophy, disrhythmias or changes in the normal sinus rhythm, is the result of practice among with a good ecg learning method.



Ecg training is now available in multiple forms and methods of teaching. Students, practicing nurses, young doctors and many other specialities requiring ecg basic and also advanced ecg skills can choose between live ecg learning in universities or hospitals, and online ecg courses. The costs are approximately the same for both ways and the actual task is to pick out the ecg training best suiting personal needs. Ecg books, instructive material and a huge amount of online information concerning ecg knowledge are available in book stores, Internet pages.

EKG training is leveled according to every student'S requirements: level 1 ecg learning relies mostly on basic information for those with minimal experience in the interpretation of an ecg; the second level of study approaches intermediary knowledge for the ones with well implemented basic information regarding the principles of electrocardiograms. The third level of ecg learning provide more advanced ecg teachings for students and doctors with well fixed basic knowledge.

Ecg training courses and learning books are written and prepared by cardiologists and other specialists in the eekg interpretation, authors are licensed in cardio-vascular conditions as well as in the diagnose methods.

A successful ecg training must contain notions of anatomy and electrophysiology of the heart, information on how to register a 12-lead ekg and individual vectors and some tasks about the paper used to obtain ecgs. Basic knowledge of the ecg interpretation are heart rate, rhythm,QRS axis, normal apsect of the different waves and intervals. The section dealing with actual heart pathology diagnosable by reading an ecg should provide information regarding branch blocks and hemoblocks, disrhythmia, ischemia and infraction as well as the effect of different drugs on the aspect of an ecg.

Ecg learning is substantially improved if the books or online courses contain ecg images, practical examples from the medical practice of the authors, exercises which the student can solve by himself and test the accumulated skills. All types of professional ecg learning courses end with a complete examination of the student that will get a degree in the particular level he has submitted to. While applying for such a degree students must be careful to choose a recognized company providing ecg training.

Online ecg learning is usually based on the following tasks: to add information to the students missing from different ecg courses at school, to provide an interactive way to learn the given material and to test the gained aptitudes and skills.

Ecg learning and training must contain certain clinical and practical information in order to be complete; a good clinician should be able to combine clinical skills with ecg knowledge. Notions like chest pain, dyspneea, abdominal pain, hypertension, electrolyte disorders, fever can be closely related to modifications and abnormalities shown on the ecg. Therefore, all ecg learning must be based on gaining both theoretical and practical information on a certain subject.