MEDLINEplus Health Information: Return to home page   A service of the National Library of Medicine: Go to NLM home page
Search     Advanced Search    Site Map    About MEDLINEplus    Home
Health Topics: conditions, diseases and wellness Drug Information: generic and brand name drugs Dictionaries: spellings and definitions of medical terms Directories: doctors, dentists and hospitals Other Resources: organizations, libraries, publications, MEDLINE

Medical Encyclopedia
Disease     Injury     Nutrition     Poison     Special     Surgery     Symptoms     Tests

Electrocardiogram (ECG)
Atrioventricular block, EKG tracing
ECG - infant
 
Overview   Risks   Results   

ECG

Alternative names:

EKG; electrocardiogram

What the risks are:

There are generally no risks. Since this procedure only monitors the electrical impulses and does not emit electricity, there is no risk of shock. During an exercise electrocardiogram, some patients experience arrhythmias or heart distress. Equipment for dealing with these occurrences is located in the testing area.

Special considerations:

ECGs are about 75% accurate because some heart conditions are not detectable all the time. A person who suspects heart disease or has had a heart attack may need more than one ECG. There is no reason for healthy people to need annual testing unless they have inherited risks or a medical need.


Adam

The information provided herein should not be used for diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Copyright 2000 adam.com, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.

Health Topics | Drug Information | Dictionaries | Directories | Other Resources
U.S. National Library of Medicine, 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20894
Copyright and Privacy Policy, We welcome your comments.