What is the difference between EKG and ECG?

Nurses General Nursing

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I'm wondering does EKG and ECG mean the same thing??

If not please explain these to me.

Another thing i'm wondering about is what is an A-line and B-line

I thought that it was for the IV pumps, apparently it's for something else.

If someone could explain that to me too.

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There is no difference. EKG is the earlier name and is so called because the guy who invented it was German and the spelling was electrokardiogram (or some such thing...i'm only positive about the "k").

As for a-line and b-line...not sure. The only a-line I know is an arterial line. Not sure what the b-line is.

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MJ-12 said:

Another thing i'm wondering about is what is an A-line and B-line

Thanks,

MJ

A b-line is what you make when your shift is over.

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
zenman said:
A b-line is what you make when your shift is over.

Love that one ?

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Specializes in tele, stepdown/PCU, med/surg.
Quote
There is no difference. EKG is the earlier name and is so called because the guy who invented it was German and the spelling was electrokardiogram (or some such thing...i'm only positive about the "k").

To add to L'zbeth's comment, EKG was decided to be the universal term because ECG sounded too similar to EEG (electroencephalogram). They thought calling it EKG would then decrease any confusion.

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Specializes in ICU, CM, Geriatrics, Management.
zenman said:
A b-line is what you make when your shift is over.

Hahahahahahaha!

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Specializes in Emergency/Anaesthetics/PACU.
zacarias said:
To add to L'zbeth's comment, EKG was decided to be the universal term because ECG sounded too similar to EEG (electroencephalogram). They thought calling it EKG would then decrease any confusion.

Universal term for where...? The US?

In Australia, electrocardiagraph is referred to as an ECG....

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Specializes in tele, stepdown/PCU, med/surg.
RN_Amy said:
Universal term for where...? The US?

In Australia, electrocardiagraph is referred to as an ECG....

Yes, I guess I meant the US although I didn't know that about Australia. My goal was not to sound ethnocentric.

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Personally I like to use EKG, because my brain wants to think echocardiogram when I see ECG. :redbeathe

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

^^ Agreed with above posts, although they have been pretty interchangeable in my experience.. meaning I've heard both. I prefer EKG, though. and LOL at b-line!

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So can anyone explain the difference between electrokardiogram & electrokardiograph..?

I was looking to purchase a heart rate monitor & the site I went to claimed that electrokardiogram was the actual chart & electrokardiograph was the actual equipment used to produce the chart, this sounds a bit odd to me as the term "graph" would naturally indicate a chart..?

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Specializes in ER.

Electrokardiogram developed by Dr Willem Einthoven, a dutch physician. He won the 1924 Nobel Prize in Medicine for this.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willem_Einthoven

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