ECG without bra?

So for those of you who have done stress ECGs, they literally have you walking on a treadmill with leads attached, totally topless? I can't imagine that. A) So embarrassing - who else is in the room observing? B) That would be very uncomfortable for me, I hate walking around braless as they just bounce too much.

So for those of you who have done stress ECGs, they literally have you walking on a treadmill with leads attached, totally topless? I can't imagine that. A) So embarrassing - who else is in the room observing? B) That would be very uncomfortable for me, I hate walking around braless as they just bounce too much.

The place I've gone has multiple stations. For men, it's topless, for women, in a tee shirt or the like. The leads are placed behind a curtain along with the preliminaries like vitals, resting EKG and IV (nuclear stress). I'm sure I could wear a shirt if I asked, too. I don't know if the women were wearing some sort of support underneath but I do know that for a 12 lead EKG, electrode placement is precise and involves the area where the bra usually is.

Thanks for the reply, Jds4med. I'm just shocked at the idea, it would be genuinely painful for me to be on a treadmill without a sports bra or at least a supportive camisole, and I have to imagine it would be the same for most medium to large-breasted women. Heck, they'd probably wobble around so much that the leads would fall off.

Always without a bra

My wife was admitted to the hospital with chest pain (turned out to be gall bladder). she was monitored extensively, and mostly topless, several times with me present... they then took her into another room to do a stress test.. when I tried to enter the room, I heard my wife yell out to me not to come in.. I am certain she was topless on the treadmill, and I have been endlessly aroused by the imagine of it; probably more so having not been allowed to see it, leaving it all to my imagination! (my wife has full, heavy breasts...)

I've had ECGs in the past and all were done topless.

I had to have a series of ECGs done as part of a drug trial about 6 years ago. Because I wore a soft bra with no metal, I never had to remove it.

Definitely without bra, always. No exception there. Actually, I am really surprised some doctors do not think itnecessary to have a patient completely topless for this.

The EKG in either sex is done bare chested. The chest leads have to be placed at certain anatomical positions. When a treadmill is done a gown can be worn over the stick on chest leads. For a chest X-ray the patient must have no radiopaque objects so a gown may be worn with no metal in it. If nipples are going cast a radiopaque shadow nipple markers may be applied. This is done to avoid having them appear like coin lesions.

Any woman who is getting a 12 lead EKG while wearing a bra is being mistreated. The placement of the leads is precise and involves the area where the bra lives.

I had an EKG done at the cardiologist's office back in October. It was 6 leads I believe? Definitely not 12, but more than a 3 lead. I was a little surprised when the nurse doing the EKG didn't tell me to remove my bra. I even asked her if I had to take it off and she said I could keep it on. She could clearly see it was one with under wires too. A little odd that I wasn't required to take it off!

Well Brooklyn that seems a bit strange that you were not asked to remove your underwire bra for the ECG as the wires in the bra can interfere with electrical conductive and thus interfere with the recording of an ECG. Not sure about it not being a full 12 lead ( in fact although it called a 12 there are only 10 physical leads, 6 chest leads and 4 limb leads one of which is a ground ). The last 3 chest leads in a 12 lead ECG usually sit exactly where the underwire bra would sit, so that's another reason why women are asked to remove their underwire bra.

I have no experience with anything other than a 12 lead ECG, we only use these in our clinical area. For monitoring purpose we used 5 chest leads but all our patients are in a gown without a bra.

I've had numerous ECG's and always had to remove my bra . Never had a gown either , just bare chest. If it was done by a male a nurse was present too .

I've definitely seen my wife having it done without her bra on, never with. Usually exam gown lowered to her waist.

I've had numerous ECG's and always had to remove my bra . Never had a gown either , just bare chest. If it was done by a male a nurse was present too .

I've definitely seen my wife having it done without her bra on, never with. Usually exam gown lowered to her waist.

THIS is reality.

I agree RN, very strange. I had an EKG when I was at the hospital for tachycardia and skips back when I was 15. I was still well endowed even at that age, and I was wearing an under wire bra. The male nurse doing the EKG required me to take my bra off. He said unless it was a sports bra, it would have to come off. So THAT one was done properly. Ironic that the one at the cardiologist's office would be the one done incorrectly!

@Brooklyn - the need for the bra to come off in the ED was probably because you were going to have a chest x-ray - not because of the EKG. We do many EKGs with a bra in place - and the Cardiologists do not have a problem reading them (they do hate our moving target EKGs though!). Actually, for someone who is well-endowed, it's easier and preserves more modesty as the electrodes go under the breast.

Chip,

It's not the under wire, that's insulated by the cloth. It's anatomic position. The middle number V leads should be placed just where the bra lives on the chest. Working around this simple fact just makes the EKG less specific.

Right you are again Jds. Can't the chest leads on over a bra.

@Chip I didn't have a chest X-ray though. There was no mention of it from what I remember. Either way it probably still should have come off for the sake of proper lead placement. In my opinion, I'd rather an accurate diagnosis than spared modesty.

@Brooklyn - the need for the bra to come off in the ED was probably because you were going to have a chest x-ray - not because of the EKG. We do many EKGs with a bra in place - and the Cardiologists do not have a problem reading them (they do hate our moving target EKGs though!). Actually, for someone who is well-endowed, it's easier and preserves more modesty as the electrodes go under the breast.

You tell me how to do it properly with a bra in place

http://www.emtresource.com/resources/ecg/12-lead-ecg-placement/

Deviation leads to inaccurate axis measurement

Jds4med that a very useful resource about explaining 12-Lead ECG Placement, so thanks for sharing the link.

A reply stated " the AHA recommends that precordial electrodes are placed under the breast tissue on female patients. It’s important the electrodes are placed in the proper anatomical position and this can be difficult when placing above the breast. In addition, it’s unlikely that an ECG with electrodes above the breast would be as accurate or reproducible since breast tissue is prone to movement."

So i cannot understand why they would not ask you to remove the underwire bra, as precordial electrodes would need to be place exactly where the wire of an underwire bra sits on the sternum. I have seen in clinical practice a lot of problems when attempting to perform an ECG with an underwire bra on as the wire itself can interfere with electrical conductive and thus interfere with the recording of an ECG even with the filter on.

Just had one a few hours ago in my gp's office. I was asked to remove my blouse and bra and was given a paper gown to put on with the opening in the front. Procedure was done very discretely as the positioning of the tabs and leads were placed on one side and I was then covered and repeated on the other side. Same with the removal.

@RN I have a checkup of sorts with the cardiologist next month, and I'm willing to bet they'll make me have another EKG just to check up on things. If they don't ask me to remove my bra next time I'm definitely going to question them! Makes me not trust them as much on my other test results. When I was in for my initial evaluation, the cardiologist didn't even listen to my lower valves, just a quick check of my lungs and pulmonary and aortic. It's like they're afraid to ask me to remove my bra or lift my breast tissue out of the way so a proper exam can be done!

Brooklyn the heart should be listened to at the position of each of the valves. It should be listened to lying, in the left lateral decub position, sitting up and sitting up leaning forward in exhalation. If you don't have a valvular problem probably at the apex will do.

Knowledge is power, people. Don't piss off your doctor but don't take shit from them either.

Bra comes off, perod! @Brooklyn - KUDOS for your statement about not sparing modesty for the sake of accuracy! I wish more providers felt the same way!

If you're having an EKG then you want it done properly and therefore they should remove your bra especially if it has underwires....demand it Brooke

Posted on this before, but had an EKG done earlier this week and bra was on. I'm not sure what kind of bra you would have to be wearing for them to not be able to get the leads where they need to with a bra on.

Posted on this before, but had an EKG done earlier this week and bra was on. I'm not sure what kind of bra you would have to be wearing for them to not be able to get the leads where they need to with a bra on.

Read the following link -

You tell me how to do it properly with a bra in place

http://www.emtresource.com/resources/ecg/12-lead-ecg-placement/

Deviation leads to inaccurate axis measurement