An electrocardiogram is a recording of the heart's electrical activity on a strip of moving paper. It is one of the first tests used to diagnose heart disease, although a normal EKG doesn't guarantee that the heart and coronary arteries are normal.
Many patients receive EKGs prior to having surgery to make sure the heart is functioning normally.
Most EKGs are performed in the hospital's Cardiology department. Patients having preoperative EKGs are seen in Western Baptist Hospital's Outpatient Center. An echocardiogram uses sound waves to produce pictures of the heart in motion. It is used to diagnose abnormalities of the heart valves, the heart muscle and the fluid-filled sac surrounding the heart. Echocardiograms are performed in the hospital's Cardiology department.