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EKG

EKG

60 3.9
A test that records the heart's electrical signals
  • noun
  • /ˌiː.keɪˈdʒiː/
  • Specialized
translation icon : electrocardiograma
  • The doctor reviewed the EKG results, which showed normal heart activity.
  • EKG electrodes

So you're hooked up to heart rate monitors, EKG, all that stuff.

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Examples

  • Tarrant turned on the power and started the EKG, watching the tracing feed emerge from the unit.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • To our dismay, his EKG showed no electrical activity, no rhythm at all, a "flat line."

    Fiction book (1991)
  • And his latest EKG is normal.

  • All right, your EKG looks perfectly normal.

  • It's an example of an EKG or ECG, an electrocardiograph.

  • His EKG showed signs of a heart attack during dialysis, but he's stable now.

  • Angela will take blood samples, do the EKG, and a chest X-ray.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • The IV bottle is sputtering and bubbling; the EKG monitor is flashing.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • Kari Dovell adjusted the controls of the EKG, sharpening the contrast.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Serum cholesterol, folate level... liver function, blood pressure, EKG-- they're all fine.

Synonyms

cardiogram
vsEKG
  • Specialized
3 4.5

A record that shows the heart's electrical activity

is the version explicitly naming the electrical measurement
electrocardiogram
vsEKG
  • Specialized
3 5.5

A test that records the heart's electrical activity to check for heart problems

is the common abbreviated form used in clinical notes

Surface Forms

EKG singular
EKGs plural

Etymology

EKG stands for electro- (meaning 'electric'), cardio- (meaning 'heart') and -gram (meaning 'a written record'). So an EKG is literally a 'written record' of the heart's electrical activity and is used to check the heart's rhythm. The letters EKG use a K because of the German spelling Elektrokardiogramm, though you may also see ECG in English.