Unit 2 – EKG Terms and Definitions

Vocabulary flashcards covering key EKG terminology from Unit 2.

Electrocardiogram (EKG)

Written record or tracing produced by the electrocardiograph machine.

Electrode

Sensor placed on the skin that interfaces between the heart and an EKG machine.

Fibrillation

State of quivering with no organized contraction.

Flutter

Rapid, wavelike contractions.

Infarction

Death of tissue due to lack of oxygenation, usually from a blockage in circulation.

Interval

The period between specific electrical activities of the heart that is recorded on the EKG.

Ischemia

Decrease in oxygenation of tissues due to poor blood flow.

Isoelectric Line

The straight line on the EKG tracing between cardiac cycles where no electrical activity is conducted and no deflection is noted.

Myocardium Infarction

Ischemia leading to death of heart-muscle tissue; also known as a heart attack.

Negative Deflection

Downward waveform on the EKG tracing located below the isoelectric line.

Positive Deflection

Upward waveform on the EKG tracing located above the isoelectric line.

PQRST Waves

Standard waveforms found on an EKG tracing, each corresponding to a specific event in one full electrical cycle of the heart.

Precordial Leads

Six EKG leads placed on the anterior chest to record unipolar electrical activity of the heart at specific locations.

Segment

A section of the electrical activity produced by the heart and recorded on the EKG tracing.

Stenotic

Narrowed or constricted.

Syncope

Fainting.

Tachycardia

Rapid heart rate.