EKG

Medical abbreviation · Cardiology

EKG
Stands forElectrocardiogram
CategoriesMedical

EKG stands for Electrocardiogram, a cardiology abbreviation.

Painless test that records the heart's electrical activity through skin electrodes, written EKG on most US order sets, pre-surgery checklists and job titles such as EKG technician. It is ordered for chest pain, palpitations, fainting, preoperative screening and monitoring of drugs that affect heart rhythm.

Example: Pre-op labs and an EKG are required within 30 days of your knee surgery.

Usage notes

The K comes from the German spelling Elektrokardiogramm, reflecting Einthoven's early work published in German. Many US clinicians kept EKG partly because, when spoken aloud, ECG sounds too much like EEG, the brain-wave test. Journals and international guidelines generally prefer ECG. A "12-lead EKG" is the standard resting test, while a "rhythm strip" is a single-lead printout.

More cardiology abbreviations

  • DSE – Dobutamine stress echocardiogram
  • DVT – Deep vein thrombosis
  • ECG – Electrocardiogram
  • echo – Echocardiogram
  • ECMO – Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation
  • EF – Ejection fraction
  • EP – Electrophysiology
  • EPS – Electrophysiology study
  • ESC – European Society of Cardiology
  • ETT – Exercise treadmill test
  • EVAR – Endovascular aneurysm repair
  • FFR – Fractional flow reserve

See all 229 cardiology abbreviations →

Edited by the AbbreviationList.com team. Spotted an error or a missing meaning? Contact us.

This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.