Center for Continuing Education and Community Outreach, Gulf Medical University, Ajman conducts Comprehensive Workshop on the Fundamentals of EKG.

Electrocardiography not only plays a vital role in the diagnosis of cardiac diseases but also has significant implications in the management of cardiac emergencies.  To learn and refresh basic aspects and gain the best from the forthcoming advanced EKG Workshop, a two day Comprehensive Workshop on the Fundamentals of EKG was conducted by the Center for Continuing Education and Community Outreach (CCECO), Gulf Medical University on the 18^th and 19^th of November, 2011.

With the kind consent of the Provost Prof. Gita Ashok Raj and under  the able leadership of Dr. Manda- Venkataramana, the Dean of the College of Medicine,   the workshop was conceived and submitted to CCECO. The workshop was aimed at doctors, interns, residents, nurses, paramedical staff and other health professionals.

The course content was :

a)  EKG waves
b)  EKG Leads
c) Electrical axis
d) Axis deviation
e) Chamber Enlargement
d) Bundle Branch Blocks

Dr Ehab Esheiba, Cardiologist from GMC Hospital, Ajman with the help of Dr. Erum Khan, Coordinator- Incharge, Simulation Center, GMC Hospital  and Dr. Shafaq, Clinical Tutor facilitated the workshop that gave an excellent opportunity for novices and a refreshing review for experienced health care providers to hone their generic skills in basic ECG in a systematic way. The workshop was planned with small exercises and interactive sessions ideal for a small group.

The main objectives of this workshop were as follows:

At the end of this workshop, the participant will be able to:

• Recall the history and the theoretical aspects of EKG
• Explain the essential technical aspects of EKG recording.
• Explain the normal standardization of the EKG and recognize correct /incorrect standardization of the EKG trace (in sample traces)
• Describe the specific waves in an EKG trace in terms of Polarity, Amplitude and Duration.
• Calculate the heart rate from the ECG tracing.
• Calculate the cardiac axis, identify axis deviation and recognize the impact of axis deviation on the clinical ECG.
• Identify the ECG changes in Cardiac Chamber Enlargement (RA/LA/RV/LV)

A total of 12 participants comprising of 03 anesthetists from GMC Hospital , 04 Medical students from GMU, 01 Nursing Supervisor from EHSO from Nursing Home Services, Abu Dhabi,  01 Nurse from Sharjah Police Medical Services, 01 General Practitioner from Al Qassimi Hospital, Sharjah,  01 General Practitioner –private practice, 01 Obstetrics and Gynecologist from Dubai attended the two day Comprehensive Workshop on the fundamentals of EKG.    Upon enquiry by Prof. Meenu Cherian, Assistant Director of CCECO,  it was gathered that the participants were highly impressed with  Dr. Ehab Esheiba  for his immense knowledge on the subject and the manner in which he conducted the workshop by coming down to the level of a student and explain not only the findings in a particular cardiac condition, but also explain the cause for the same.

“Any workshop or conference is declared successful only if the participants attend and benefit from it”, Provost Prof. Gita Ashok Raj said while awarding certificates to the participants on successful completion of the workshop.

The Workshop was accredited by Health Authority, Abu Dhabi (HAAD), U.A.E. for 9 CME hours.