ECG

The ECG is a measurement and printout of the electrical activity of the heart.  Generally speaking, if the electrical activity of the heart is normal then the heart itself is healthy.  This is not always the case and the ECG is not infallible.  We all know of anecdotes where a person has a normal ECG taken on one day and drops dead from a heart attack the next – it can happen.  However there are many more cases where a pilot has an ECG that detects an abnormality of which he or she was totally unaware and which can then be treated, often preventing more serious problems developing later.

The ECG itself is a painless procedure whereby 10 electrical leads are attached to arms, legs and chest to produce what is called a 12 lead ECG – with no help from Paul Daniels!  The electrical voltages detected are then printed out to be read by the AME and ultimately checked by the CAA (Class 1 pilots) or a specialist (Class 2 pilots, in some cases).  Our state of the art ECG machine has its own software that prints out an interpretation of the tracing.

An abnormal ECG does not automatically lead to permanent grounding. It usually means that the opinion of a cardiologist is needed who may well suggest further tests to determine whether there is a problem.  More often than not, he reports that the ECG changes are insignificant. If there is a problem, there are often ways to get you back into the air again.  Nowadays it is often possible to fly again after heart bypass surgery!  (But with certain conditions and limitations.)

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