A normal EKG should not take very long it is a snapshot of your heart function at that moment. However, there is also something called a Signal-averaged EKG that records your EKG for 20 minutes and averages the readings could that be what you had? Also, the doctor could be looking for something specific that only happens occasionally. Did you ask them?

Carol, If you have a question and you have a patient portal, you can probably send them a message and they will respond. Hugs🤗

Thank you, Caryn. No I did not ask them. It was after I left that I questioned the length of time. When I got home I looked it up online and I could not find anywhere where it said anything except that it should last a matter of minutes. This is all so new for me.

Just a thought … I went to my PC doc because my Fitbit watch warned of Afib. He did an EKG and recorded the AFIB. He got me an appointment with a cardiologist that afternoon. That EKG did not show AFIB. Later tests showed me in AFIB 50% of the time. If my first EKG did not catch Afib and I had no other reason I might not know until an event and missed early treatment. A longer test has a better chance of finding an intermittent problem.