Reader shocked to find that EKG is no longer part of physical
Dear Dr. Roach: It has been almost a year now that I had my physical with my general doctor, and I’m mulling over whether to return to her for this year’s physical. I am a 73-year-old man with usually unremarkable physical exams except for low HDL. I have a history of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, with having had two cardiac ablations, in 2005 and 2007. I still have intermittent ventricular contractions. I am still reeling from the fact that during my last physical exam my doctor never gave me an EKG. It was only upon getting ready to conclude the exam that I had to request one. She begrudgingly said, “It’s not really needed, but if you want one …” The result was normal. What is your take on this?
