Electrocardiogram
A recording of the electrical activity of the heart. Abbreviated ECG and EKG. An ECG is a simple, noninvasive procedure. Electrodes are placed on the skin of the chest and connected in a specific order to a machine that, when turned on, measures electrical activity all over the heart. Output usually appears on a long scroll of paper that displays a printed graph of activity on a computer screen. The initial diagnosis of heart attack is usually made through observation of a combination of clinical symptoms and characteristic ECG changes. An ECG can detect areas of muscle deprived of oxygen and/or dead tissue in the heart. If a medication is known to sometimes adversely affect heart function, a baseline ECG may be ordered before the patient starts taking the medicine, and follow-up testing may occur at regular intervals to look for any changes.
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A technique for studying the electrical currents within the brain. Electrodes are attached to the scalp. Wires attach these electrodes to a machine, which records the electrical impulses. The results are either printed out or displayed on a computer screen. Different patterns of electrical impulses can denote various forms of epilepsy. Abbreviated EEG.
- Electrogastrogram
A test in which the electrical current generated by the muscle of the stomach is sensed and recorded in a manner very similar to that of an electrocardiogram of the heart. Abbreviated EGG. An EGG is performed by taping electrodes to the skin on the upper abdomen over the stomach. Recordings from the muscle are […]