by
Barbara Kram, Editor | December 24, 2009
"If we have to choose, I would prefer
ECG because we don't see people with Kardiac diseases, we don't record eleKtrocardiograms, or do eKhocardiograms," offered Bulent Buyukoglu, M.D., a cardiologist who is manager of USmedevice, LLC, a global ECG distributor based in Cumberland, RI. "I think ECG is the korrect choice," Dr. Buyukoglu quipped in an email to DOTmed News.
Professional terminology seems to favor
ECG. But for some reason, patients and families in the U.S. nearly always say
EKG, perhaps a throw-back usage that has come into layman's acceptance.
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"I actually slant my terminology depending on the audience. In Europe, the German influence is much stronger so they tend to universally refer to it as an EKG because the German translation is spelled with a "k" [
elektrocardiogramm]. In America, electrocardiography is spelled with a "c" so ECG is the more formal approach," explained Meera's colleague Kevin Geary, global product manager for Philips Pagewriter Cardiographs. (Note their unimpeachable choice of product category.)
"If you go through the literature, American journals and the American College of Cardiology will be consistent with
ECG. Having said that, most hospitals, if they have one, have an
EKG Department," he said.
On second thought, let's call the whole thing off.
(Watch for an industry sector report on ECG in the January 2010 issue of DOTmed Business News.)
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Jonas Moses
Article is filled with erroneous information...
October 09, 2020 10:21
E.g.: "The Dutch spelling is elektrocardiogram, hence EKG." Patently false. Having spent my childhood in Europe, and lived in Nederlands, and the spelling there was "electrocardiogram." The origin of "EKG" is German, from "electroKardiographie" (my capitalization of the "K" for emphasis). Virtually everywhere else, the spelling is "e-l-e-c-t-r-o-C-a-r-d-i-o-g-r-a-m." I do not know anyone who learned EKG in medical school, and certainly I did not. Both my parents, who were in Medicine, used "ECG," as do most of my colleagues. Using "EKG" in the United States is archaic; just as archaic as calling a refrigerator an "ice box." It is plainly wrong, and stating that "everything is different" in the US is ...lazy.
" But for some reason, patients and families in the U.S. nearly always say EKG, perhaps a throw-back usage that has come into layman's acceptance." Misinformation, and lack of education.
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