Meaning & use
electrocardiogram
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountablemedicalspecialist
A medical test that records the electrical activity of the heart, usually shown as a line on paper or a screen.
Grammar: Countable: an electrocardiogram, two electrocardiograms.
Patterns
- have an electrocardiogram
- do an electrocardiogram
- an electrocardiogram shows something
The doctor ordered an electrocardiogram to check his heart rhythm.
The electrocardiogram showed a slight irregularity, so they kept her overnight.
Nurses are trained to place the leads for an electrocardiogram correctly.
nouncountablemedicalspecialist
The printed or electronic record produced by such a test.
Grammar: Countable; often used with read or interpret.
Patterns
- read an electrocardiogram
- interpret an electrocardiogram
The cardiologist studied the electrocardiogram for several minutes.
A normal electrocardiogram does not always rule out heart disease.
Word forms
| plural | electrocardiograms |
|---|
Common combinations
- have an electrocardiogram
- He had an electrocardiogram as part of his annual check-up.
- order an electrocardiogram
- The emergency doctor ordered an electrocardiogram immediately.
- an electrocardiogram shows
- The electrocardiogram shows a normal sinus rhythm.
- a routine electrocardiogram
- A routine electrocardiogram is often done before surgery.
Synonyms and how they differ
- ECG
- The common British abbreviation; use it in everyday medical talk, while electrocardiogram is the full formal term.
- EKG
- The American abbreviation, based on the German spelling; it means the same test.
Word family
- electrocardiography noun
- The medical technique or study of recording heart electrical activity.
- electrocardiograph noun
- The machine that produces an electrocardiogram.
Commonly confused: electrocardiogram or echocardiogram? electrocardiogram or encephalogram?
electrocardiogram vs echocardiogram
An echocardiogram uses sound waves to make an image of the heart, while an electrocardiogram records electrical activity.
electrocardiogram vs encephalogram
An encephalogram records brain activity, not heart activity.
Practice
A patient with chest pain is most likely to have which test to check the heart's electrical activity?
Choose one answer.
An electrocardiogram records the heart's electrical activity, which is the standard test for chest pain. An echocardiogram uses sound waves for imaging, an encephalogram records brain activity, and an endoscopy examines the digestive tract.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “electrocardiogram”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.