DIPLOMA IN ECG TECHNOLOGY

UNIT 1: Fundamentals of ECG & Cardiovascular Anatomy

Theory

• Introduction to Electrocardiography
• History and development of ECG
• Anatomy of the heart
• Chambers, valves and major blood vessels
• Cardiac muscle and conduction system
• Basic cardiovascular physiology
• Role and responsibilities of an ECG Technician
• Professional ethics and patient confidentiality

Practical

• Identification of basic cardiac structures
• Introduction to ECG equipment
• Identification of ECG machine components
• Patient identification and preparation
• Basic vital-sign observation
• ECG laboratory orientation
• Infection-control practices

UNIT 2: Principles of Electrocardiography

Theory

• Electrical activity of the heart
• Cardiac impulse generation and conduction
• ECG waveform fundamentals
• P waves, QRS complexes and T waves
• PR interval, QT interval and ST segment
• ECG paper, calibration and standard settings
• ECG leads and their functions

Practical

• ECG machine setup
• ECG paper loading
• Calibration and standardization
• Identification of ECG waves and intervals
• Basic lead-system demonstration
• Recording a standard ECG under supervision
• Proper ECG documentation

UNIT 3: Patient Preparation & 12-Lead ECG Recording

Theory

• Patient communication and preparation
• Indications for ECG recording
• Contraindications and precautions
• Standard 12-lead ECG
• Limb and chest leads
• Electrode placement principles
• Common recording errors and artefacts

Practical

• Patient positioning
• Skin preparation
• Limb electrode placement
• Precordial/chest electrode placement
• Standard 12-lead ECG recording
• Checking ECG quality
• Correcting common artefacts
• Documentation of ECG recordings

UNIT 4: ECG Waveforms, Rhythm & Rate

Theory

• Normal sinus rhythm
• Heart-rate calculation
• Rhythm assessment principles
• ECG waveform analysis
• Regular and irregular rhythms
• Common artefacts
• Basic conduction abnormalities
• Introduction to ECG interpretation terminology

Practical

• Heart-rate calculation
• Rhythm-strip practice
• Identification of normal ECG components
• Measurement of intervals
• Recognition of common artefacts
• Practice with sample ECG tracings
• Basic ECG observation and documentation

UNIT 5: Common ECG Abnormalities

Theory

• Introduction to common ECG abnormalities
• Sinus tachycardia and bradycardia
• Atrial rhythm abnormalities
• Ventricular rhythm abnormalities
• Conduction disturbances
• ST-segment and T-wave changes
• Introduction to ischemic ECG patterns
• Recognizing urgent findings and escalation procedures

Practical

• Review of sample ECG tracings
• Recognition of common rhythm patterns
• Comparison of normal and abnormal ECGs
• Identification of rate and rhythm variations
• Documentation of observed findings
• Simulated communication of urgent observations to the appropriate clinician

UNIT 6: Advanced ECG Techniques & Cardiac Monitoring

Theory

• Extended ECG monitoring
• Holter monitoring principles
• Exercise/stress ECG fundamentals
• Ambulatory cardiac monitoring
• Patient preparation and monitoring
• Electrode placement for monitoring
• Safety considerations during cardiac monitoring

Practical

• Holter-monitor setup demonstration
• Electrode placement for ambulatory monitoring
• Patient instructions for monitoring
• Monitoring-record documentation
• Exercise ECG observation under qualified supervision
• Equipment cleaning and maintenance

UNIT 7: ECG Equipment, Maintenance & Troubleshooting

Theory

• ECG machine components and functions
• Digital ECG systems
• Electrodes, cables and accessories
• Preventive maintenance
• Electrical safety
• Common technical problems
• ECG artefacts and troubleshooting
• Equipment documentation

Practical

• ECG machine inspection
• Cable and electrode checking
• Calibration verification
• Troubleshooting common recording problems
• Battery and power-supply checks
• Cleaning and disinfection
• Equipment maintenance log

UNIT 8: Patient Care, Emergency Awareness & Infection Control

Theory

• Patient safety and comfort
• Infection prevention
• Standard precautions
• PPE and hand hygiene
• Biomedical waste management
• Basic emergency awareness
• Recognition of situations requiring immediate clinical attention
• Professional communication and patient privacy

Practical

• Hand-hygiene procedures
• PPE use
• Equipment disinfection
• Safe patient positioning
• Emergency-response simulation
• Basic first-aid awareness
• Biomedical waste segregation
• Patient communication exercises

UNIT 9: Clinical ECG Documentation & Professional Practice

Theory

• ECG request and patient identification
• Clinical documentation
• ECG report workflow
• Maintaining patient records
• Quality assurance
• Common pre-analytical and technical errors
• Communication with doctors and healthcare teams
• Professional ethics and confidentiality

Practical

• ECG request verification
• Patient-record documentation
• ECG labelling
• Maintaining ECG registers
• Quality-control checklist
• Error identification and correction
• Preparing ECG documentation
• Professional communication exercises

UNIT 10: Integrated ECG Technology Practicum

Theory

• Complete ECG laboratory workflow
• Patient preparation and safety
• Standard ECG recording
• ECG quality assurance
• Monitoring procedures
• Equipment maintenance
• Professional responsibilities
• Practical examination preparation

Practical

• Complete 12-lead ECG recording
• Patient preparation and communication
• Electrode placement
• ECG machine operation
• ECG quality checking
• Artefact identification and correction
• Holter monitoring demonstration
• ECG documentation
• Supervised clinical ECG practicum
• Final practical examination

FINAL PROJECT

ECG Recording & Quality Assurance Project

Students will complete a supervised project demonstrating the complete workflow of an ECG examination.

Project Components

1. Patient preparation and identification
2. Explanation of the ECG procedure
3. Equipment preparation
4. Correct electrode placement
5. Standard 12-lead ECG recording
6. Assessment of recording quality
7. Identification of technical artefacts
8. Corrective measures for poor-quality recordings
9. ECG documentation and record maintenance
10. Basic observation of waveform/rhythm characteristics
11. Quality-control checklist
12. Final project presentation and viva