Therapeutics – Cardiovascular System Practice Test

Electrocardiography primarily assesses the heart’s electrical activity to detect problems with blood supply to the heart and heart rhythm. It records patterns that signal a heart attack (myocardial infarction) such as ST-segment changes and new Q waves, and it also reveals various arrhythmias like atrial fibrillation, tachycardias, or bradycardias. Anemia, cerebral stroke, and aortic aneurysm aren’t diagnosed by the heart’s electrical signals; confirming those conditions relies on blood tests or imaging studies (for anemia), neurological imaging and exams (for stroke), and vascular imaging (for aneurysm). So the ECG is best suited to diagnose heart attacks and arrhythmias.