I just came home from Makati Med Heart Station, where I had my very first ECG test.
Several years ago, I started feeling my heart “shaking” at random times, regardless if I was stressed or at rest, but usually lasting for only 1 second and it wasn’t painful so I didn’t worry about it. By “shaking”, I mean that my heart beats louder and faster than usual.
This year I started drinking more coffee because I’ve been quite busy, and since then, the heart-shaking became more frequent! There was even a time when it lasted almost 3 seconds and it scared the hell out of me. It was still pain-free, but I was scared.
My family medicine doctor wrote me a referral to get a 12-Lead ECG, to rule out “cardiac dysrhythmia”, which means that there is a irregular heartbeat.
Preparation for ECG at Makati Med Heart Station
I brought the following items:
Valid ID
ECG Referral (can be a soft copy; ask for their email address)
HMO Card, if any
HMO Loa, if any
Vaccination card, just in case
What to wear for your ECG at Makati Med Heart Station
For ladies, if you’d like to feel as comfortable as possible, you may want to wear a bra that provides good coverage, and a button-up top so that you simply have to unbutton it during the procedure. I was told that all staff who perform ECG at Makati Med Heart Station are female, so don’t worry so much about it.
And for the gentlemen, if not taking off your shirt is the most comfortable for you, I also suggest that you wear a button-up shirt.
What was it like getting an ECG done at Makati Med Heart Station?
First, get a number from the kiosk inside Makati Med Heart Station, near the entrance. The waiting line to the reception counter at Makati Med Heart Station was very slow, and the room was so hot in the afternoon. But there’s a cold water dispenser there that may help you feel refreshed. The wait was a bit stressful nonetheless, and I hope it doesn’t affect the ECGs of the patients.
Once your number is called in the counter, things will start to get faster. A short moment after talking to the lady in the reception counter, my name was called by the lady who was about to perform ECG on me.
I laid upright in bed as the lady attached the electrodes (correct me if that’s not the right term!) to my legs, arms, and chest. Then she ran a machine for… I think not more than a minute. I hope that it’s enough to catch an abnormal heart rhythm. I prefer not to do the 24-hour monitor because I have pressure urticaria, and I think it’s gonna make me itch a lot for 24 hours! But if it comes to that, then I’ll just have to woman up to get it over with.
Can you get the ECG result online from Makati Med?
Results for ECG and 24-Hr Holter Monitor are not yet available online, so you’ll have to claim the results at Makati Med Heart Station. Bring your official receipt with you.
Processing of results is 24 hours, according to the lady who did my ECG. I am confused though, because on the Makati Med website they say it should take 2 business days. Anyway, I won’t be able to go there within the next 2 days so… yeah.
