You can get a walk-in ECG in Ottawa at four Bio-Test Laboratory centres: Bells Corners (2006 Robertson Road), Smyth (1929 Russell Road), Parkdale (1081 Carling Avenue) and Orléans Centrum (210 Centrum Boulevard). No appointment is needed. Bring your Ontario health card and an ECG requisition from your provider; the resting test takes about ten minutes and can be combined with bloodwork on the same visit.
What is an ECG?
An electrocardiogram (ECG, sometimes EKG) records the electrical activity of your heart over a few seconds. Small sticky electrodes on your chest, arms and legs pick up the signal; nothing is sent into your body and the test is painless. A standard resting 12-lead ECG shows your heart rhythm and rate and gives your physician information about the heart muscle and its electrical conduction.
Physicians and nurse practitioners order ECGs for many reasons: palpitations, chest discomfort, dizziness or fainting, a baseline before starting certain medications, monitoring an existing heart condition, or as part of a pre-operative assessment. An ECG is one snapshot in time; what it means for you is a question for the practitioner who ordered it.
What can an ECG tell you, and what can it not?
A resting ECG is very good at showing rhythm problems that are present while the electrodes are on, at picking up signs of a previous heart attack, and at revealing patterns that suggest a thickened heart muscle or a conduction delay. It is much less useful for symptoms that come and go: if your palpitations happen twice a week, a ten-minute recording on a quiet Tuesday morning may be entirely normal. A normal tracing is reassuring but does not rule out every heart condition, and an abnormal one often needs further tests before it means anything definite. That is why your physician interprets the ECG together with your history, examination and bloodwork rather than in isolation.
Where can I get a walk-in ECG in Ottawa?
Bio-Test offers ECG services at four locations: our main laboratory in Nepean at Bells Corners, our Smyth Road centre near the General campus, our Parkdale centre on Carling Avenue, and our Orléans Centrum centre in the east end. No appointment is needed for an ECG; patients are seen on a first-come, first-served basis during the centre's opening hours. Bells Corners has the longest hours of our network, open weekday evenings and Saturday mornings, which suits people who cannot come during the workday.
If you also need an X-ray, both Bells Corners and Smyth offer walk-in X-ray as well, so bloodwork, ECG and imaging can often be done in a single visit. Check the location page for today's hours before you set out.
What do I need to bring for an ECG?
- A requisition for the ECG signed by a physician or nurse practitioner; like laboratory tests, ECGs cannot be self-ordered
- Your valid Ontario health card; medically necessary tests ordered by your physician are insured services in Ontario, as described on ontario.ca
- A list of your current medications, which the technician records with the tracing
- Any previous ECG report you have been given, if your provider asked you to bring it
How do I prepare for an ECG?
Little preparation is needed, and there is no fasting for an ECG on its own. A few small things make the tracing cleaner and the visit quicker:
- Skip lotions, oils or powders on your chest, arms and legs that morning; they stop the electrodes from sticking
- Wear a two-piece outfit so the top can be removed or lifted easily; you will be given a gown or drape
- Avoid a hard workout, a large meal, or a lot of caffeine in the hour before the test if you can; they can change your heart rate
- Arrive a few minutes early so you are rested and warm; shivering shows up on the tracing
What happens during an ECG?
- You lie on your back on an examination table. The technician cleans small patches of skin and may clip a little hair on the chest so the electrodes attach properly.
- Ten electrodes are placed: six across the chest and one on each arm and leg. They are connected to the ECG machine by leads.
- You are asked to lie still, breathe normally and not talk for a short time, usually well under a minute of actual recording.
- The electrodes are removed and you are free to go. The whole appointment typically takes about ten minutes.
There are no side effects; occasionally the adhesive leaves a little redness that fades quickly. If you feel unwell in the waiting room, tell staff straight away rather than waiting your turn.
How do I get my ECG results?
The tracing is sent to the practitioner who ordered the test, who interprets it in the context of your history and reviews it with you. Bio-Test does not give results at the desk, and a technician cannot comment on what the tracing shows. If your physician ordered bloodwork at the same time, for example a lipid profile or thyroid tests, those results follow their usual turnaround and appear in the patient portal. If your provider needs longer monitoring, such as a 24-hour Holter recording or an exercise stress test, they will refer you to a cardiology service, since those are different tests from a resting ECG.
How do I get an ECG in Ottawa?
A resting ECG is a quick, painless walk-in service at Bio-Test's Bells Corners, Smyth, Parkdale and Orléans Centrum centres. Bring your requisition and health card, and check hours on our locations page first; if you would rather have a set time for your bloodwork, book through the patient portal. Our walk-in guide has tips on quieter times of day, and our preparation page covers anything on the same requisition that needs fasting.