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Dr. Andrew Rynne
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Dr. Andrew Rynne

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ECG Done, Sinus Rhythm Levels, Short PR Interval. Does Hair On Chest Affect Readings?

Hello sir ! Hope you are doing great ! Today i did my ECG . I am 27 male with 5 ft 8 in , 65 Kgs. I have lot of hair in my chest . The electrode were coming out while carrying out the ECG. Does hairy chest effect the reading ? Diagnosis say 800 : sinus rhythm 401 : short PR interval Kindly guide me if any problem.
Wed, 17 Oct 2012
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Internal Medicine Specialist,  's  Response
Dear friend, welcome and thanks for entrusting your query here at HCM!
I am Dr. Prasad Akole (Critical Care Expert- http://bit.ly/Dr-Prasad-Akole) and am glad to address to your query here.

Yes, you are right in thinking that hairy chest can dislodge ECG electrodes and cause artefacts.
You will need shaving of the chest and then an ECG can be recorded correctly.

A short PR interval may sometimes be associated with WPW syndrome which is abnormal and significant.

But I think you are posting the automated report that the machine generates, which is not always reliable.

Please get the ECG read by an expert like a good physician or a cardiologist and ask if the short PR is significant and if there is any 'delta wave' as seen in WPW syndrome.
If not, there is no worry.

I hope you are fully satisfied with the guidance I gave.
I would be glad to answer any further queries.
Thank you and Good luck!
I find this answer helpful
  User's Response


Hello Ame,

ECG measures the electrical transmission of heart to various parts of the body while pumping blood. This is captured by electrodes, which are placed on chest, arms and legs. The hair on chest will not have any direct effect on the reading of the ECG or the electrical conduction of the heart. The most possible thing that could happen is electrodes not fixing properly and that might affect the reading, as electrode is not recognized. To avoid this situation and to have a correct reading without having the electrodes fall off, usually waxing of the hairy part is suggested which helps in accurate reading.

However your ECG shows Sinus rhythm which means your heart is beating normal and has not problem as such.

Thank you for your query.
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ECG Done, Sinus Rhythm Levels, Short PR Interval. Does Hair On Chest Affect Readings?

Dear friend, welcome and thanks for entrusting your query here at HCM! I am Dr. Prasad Akole (Critical Care Expert- http://bit.ly/Dr-Prasad-Akole) and am glad to address to your query here. Yes, you are right in thinking that hairy chest can dislodge ECG electrodes and cause artefacts. You will need shaving of the chest and then an ECG can be recorded correctly. A short PR interval may sometimes be associated with WPW syndrome which is abnormal and significant. But I think you are posting the automated report that the machine generates, which is not always reliable. Please get the ECG read by an expert like a good physician or a cardiologist and ask if the short PR is significant and if there is any delta wave as seen in WPW syndrome. If not, there is no worry. I hope you are fully satisfied with the guidance I gave. I would be glad to answer any further queries. Thank you and Good luck!