DURHAM, NC – ECG (electrocardiogram) tech Joy Foreman rejoiced as she came upon a true rarity today when it comes to the world of diagnostic cardiac tests: an ECG that was ordered as routine.
“Never in my career have I ever come across an ECG ordered as routine, these just don’t happen,” Foreman told Gomerblog, who assumed that the only way you can order an ECG is stat. “My mind was blown.”
Before Foreman celebrated this occasion, she wanted to make sure this wasn’t a error yet to be caught. She contacted the requesting physician to ask if the order was a mistake and if he needed the ECG stat.
“You can imagine how dumbfounded I was when he told me that it wasn’t a mistake,” Foreman continued, still in a sort of dream state. She pressed him several times and each time he assured her it was in fact a routine ECG. “He said that it wasn’t urgent and that whenever I had a chance to get to it was fine, no rush. Wow.”
The last time an ECG was ordered as routine on purpose was back in Boston in 1986.
Just as ordered, Foreman took pride in performing the ECG routinely. She didn’t rush, she even decided to take a decently-sized lunch break before performing the ECG. And when she did, she took a little more time and care placing the leads.
“A routine ECG, this is absolutely wild, bonkers even!” she exclaimed.
With the patient’s permission, Foreman made a copy of the ECG before placing the original in the chart.
“I’m going to frame this,” Foreman told Gomerblog, holding a copy of the routine ECG while tears welled in the corners of her eyes. “I still can’t believe this happened. This is a day I’ll never forget.”
