An electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG), abbreviated from the German Electrocardiogram, is a graphic produced by an electrocardiograph, which records the electrical activity of the heart over time. Its name is made of different parts: electro, because it is related to electrical activity, cardio, Greek for heart, gram, a Greek root meaning “to write”. In the US, the abbreviation “EKG” is often preferred over “ECG”, while “ECG” is used universally in the UK and many other countries (Wikipedia 2008).

Electrical impulses in the heart originate in the sinoartrial node and travel through the heart muscle where they cause contraction. The electrical waves can be measured at selectively placed electrodes through the heart muscle where they cause contraction. The electrical waves can be measured at selectively placed electrodes (electrical contacts) on the skin. Electrodes on different sides of the heart measure the activity of different parts of the heart muscle. An ECG displays the voltage between pairs of these electrodes, and the muscle activity that they measure, from different directions, also understood as vectors. This display indicates the overall rhythm of the heart, and weaknesses in different parts of the heart muscle. It is the best way to measure and diagnose abnormal rhythms of the heart (Samuel 1997), particularly abnormal rhythms caused by damage to the conductive tissue that carries electrical signals, or abnormal rhythms caused by levels of dissolved salts (electrolytes), such as potassium, that are too high or low (Van Mieghem 2004). In myocardial infarction (MI), the ECG can identify damaged heart muscle (American Heart association 2005).