Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG)
The electrocardiogram (ECG; sometimes abbreviated EKG) is a non-invasive test which records the electrical activity generated by the heart. This electrical activity is recorded from the patient's body surface (arms, legs, and chest) by 10 electrodes against the skin. The test takes 5-10 minutes to complete and yields information about the heart rhythm and rate, hypertrophy (thickness of the heart muscle) and chamber enlargement, presence of an old or ongoing heart attack (myocardial infarction), or evidence of impaired blood supply (ischemia).