Training Course at the College of Medicine, University of Babylon on Electrocardiography (ECG)
As part of the continuing education activities of the Department of Physiology and in alignment with the goals of sustainable development, a two-day training course was held for postgraduate students titled:
“Electrocardiography (ECG), Its Medical Applications, and How to Achieve Accurate Diagnosis.”
The course was attended by the Head of the Department, Professor Dr. Sameer Suwadi Hammoud, along with several faculty members and postgraduate students.
Lectures were delivered by Assistant Professor Dr. Ikhlas Hatim Abdul Ameer, Assistant Professor Dr. Ahlam Kazem Aboud, and Assistant Professor Dr. Zainab Falah Hassan.
The lectures emphasized that ECG is a vital test for assessing heart health, aiding in the diagnosis of numerous cardiac conditions and determining their severity. It is particularly useful in identifying heart diseases such as myocardial infarction, arrhythmias (e.g., atrial fibrillation), and cardiomyopathies.
The course covered both the theoretical and practical aspects of ECG interpretation. A portion of the training was dedicated to showcasing the latest technological advances in cardiac monitoring. This included a review of Ambulatory ECG devices, which record heart activity over extended periods during a patient’s regular daily activities, capturing arrhythmias that may not appear on standard short-duration ECGs.
Types of Ambulatory ECG devices discussed included:
• Holter Monitor: A small wearable device that records the heart’s electrical activity continuously for 24–72 hours, used to detect frequent arrhythmias.
• Event Recorder: Activated manually by the patient during symptoms such as palpitations or dizziness; useful for detecting intermittent issues not occurring daily.
• Loop Recorder: An implantable device that can monitor the heart for several months, particularly useful for diagnosing unexplained chronic symptoms like recurrent fainting.
• Patch ECG Devices (e.g., Zio Patch): Lightweight adhesive patches worn on the chest for several days to two weeks, offering comfort and minimal interference with daily activities.
The course also addressed smartwatches equipped with ECG features, such as the Apple Watch, discussing their accuracy, usefulness for early warnings, and limitations compared to traditional medical devices.
In conclusion, the course highlighted the key benefits gained, including improved ability to recognize dangerous ECG changes, understanding the differences between instant ECG and long-term monitoring (Holter), and appreciating the role of modern technology in the early detection of cardiac arrhythmias
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