Echocardiogram vs. EKG – What Are They?
When considering echocardiogram vs. EKG its important to have a basic understanding of both tests. Both the echocardiogram and EKG are very important and are commonly used heart tests that are instrumental in diagnosing various forms of heart disease. The echocardiogram is an ultrasound of the heart that provides moving pictures and provides information on the structure and function of the heart. The EKG is a heart tracing that mainly provides information on the rhythm of the heart. Both tests are often used in conjunction and are complimentary to each other.
EKG heart tracing
echocardiogram heart scan
Echocardiogram vs. EKG – Other Names
Echocardiogram is also known as an ultrasound scan of the heart, an echo, or sonar of the heart. EKG is also known as an ECG, a 12 lead EKG, or an electrocardiogram.
Echocardiogram vs. EKG – Both Are Considered Non-invasive
Below we discuss the differences in performing an echocardiogram vs. EKG. Both of these tests are considered non-invasive cardiac testing. Patients are not expected to feel any pain from either test. This is in contrast to invasive tests such as heart catheterization.
Echocardiogram vs. EKG – When Are They Ordered?
The EKG is the most commonly ordered heart test. Basically every patient every evaluated for a heart related issue or heart related symptoms get an EKG. The echocardiogram is also very commonly used but not as common as the EKG. The EKG can also be considered a screening test that is done in almost everyone that has a history and physical. The echo is more specifically ordered when there are signs and symptoms of heart disease present.
Echocardiogram vs. EKG – How Are They Done?
EKG – 10 small sticky pads on various places on the chest wall then leads from the EKG machine are attached. These leads transmit data that use the electrical activity of the heart to generate a tracing. For some men, chest hair may need to be shaved in places to improve contact and ensure a good tracing.
Echocardiogram – Patients are given a gown to wear and lie on a table specifically designed to perform the echocardiogram. Patients will typically lie on their left hand side. Ultrasound gel is applied to various areas of the chest wall then the ultrasound probe placed on the chest and the pictures taken.
Echocardiogram vs. EKG – How Long Do They Take?
EKG – The test itself takes about 5 minutes. Most of that is applying the leads; the tracing itself takes seconds to generate only.
Echocardiogram – In most cases about 20 minutes is needed to complete the test. 5 minutes of that is likely spent in preparation and 15 minutes used to take the pictures. In some cases depending on the specific information required the test can take longer.
Echocardiogram vs. EKG – What Information Do They Provide?
The EKG is a heart tracing. It provides information on the rhythm and rate of the heart. Outside of heart rhythm disorders, abnormal heart tracings can point towards various disease states. Hearth rhythm disordered may include fast heart rate (tachycardia), low heart rate (bradycardia), heart blocks; irregular heart beats (atrial fibrillation). In addition it can provide clues regarding enlargement of heart chambers and heart muscle abnormalities. An extremely important use of the EKG heart tracing is in the evaluation of suspected heart attacks. The EKG is the emergent test of choice in patients with chest pain.
The echocardiogram is an ultrasound scan of the heart that shows moving pictures that show the structure and function of the heart. It shows accurate information on the heart pumping function and heart chamber sizes. For this reason they are a valuable test in the evaluation of heart failure. Echocardiograms also provide highly accurate information on heart valve function. They can be used to identify leaky or tight heart valves. While the EKG can provide clues to many of these diagnoses, the echocardiogram is considered much more accurate for heart structure and function.
Echocardiogram vs. EKG – They Complement Each Other
Importantly in most cases of an abnormal EKG an echo will be ordered. For example if a patient presents with palpitations and an irregular heart tracing is picked up, the patient will be sent for an echocardiogram also to evaluate for underlying structural of functional disorders that may be the cause of the rhythm. If a patient has chest pain and the EKG suggests a possible heart attack or blockage, an echocardiogram will likely be ordered to see the extent of the damage. Hopefully this article has helped to explain echocardiogram vs. EKG.
I’m 54 male with 48pm on ECG it says abnormal ? Due to voltage can you explain what this means do I need to worry ?
Have a healthcare provider glance at the EKG and interpret it. Machine reads are often useless and shouldn’t cause concern in isolation.
you can follow my twitter at @MustafaAhmedMD
I am 45yrs old i feel in my heart like fluttering or pvc i feel occassional sometime in one day not sometime 3, 5 or 6 time i feel fluttering on my heart but i am already check up by doc all examine they said good function of heart no need treatment but until now i feel occassional pvc
please give the explaination thank you..
I have mild mitral valve prolapsed and myxomatous MVP and mild tricuspid regurgitation
Should I be worry of them
I’m a 20 year old female and had a ekg 3 times all came back abnormal. Have a heart murmur sent me for a echo and came back with a finding of a increase flow velocity in the LVOR and trace mitral regurgitation, trace tricuspid regurgitation and trace pulmonic regurgitation. My whole chest feels heavy and aches. Hard to breath and left did of chest I have pains and right. Sometimes have vibration sensation in my chest.
My EKG and chest X-Ray was normal when I got it at the hospital but I only get 5-8 hours of sleep every night and I noticed I’m waking up with a heart rate around 80-100 bpm. When I go asleep at night initially my heart rate is excellent at 45-65 bpm. I noticed after a little while after being up in the morning my heart rate ends up going back down into the 60s bpm again. What should I do?
I get this too. Did you ever find anything out? Recently had 2 abnormal EKGs.
I am sorry but there is an error. Only ten “stickers” are placed on the patient’s body which produce 12-leads.
I have a question which none of my medical care folks have been able to figure out. I had a STEMI heart attack 90 days ago, had a stent placed in my LAD and I am in cardiac rehab. At home I have a really nice exercise bike with a built in heart monitor (that uses a chest strap). Prior to the heart attack, the chest strap and monitor worked perfectly on me. After the heart attack the heart monitor does not work. I had my wife try the bike using the chest strap and it works perfectly on her. For me, it picks up no heart rate. I have been diagnosed with PVCs on my ECGs. Are these PVCs the cause of the heart rate monitor on the bike not working?
That make you the Tin Man! Congrats!
Afib – How droll – you and your little dog too.
The other night my resting heart rate was 48 and I was just feeling bad and having heart palpitations so I went and bought a Fitbit to track my heart rate and I have been wanting one to help me get in shape anyways. But it is reading my resting heart rate as 54 and I am not in shape at all. Last night I was feeling short of breath and I occasionally feel dizzy but I also have an anxiety disorder so idk if its all in my head or if I have heart problems. I have a doctors appointment today but I was just curious what your opinion is. Thank you!
Hello,
I have the exact same problem, my resting heart rate the other night was 40 and i was really sort of breath and felt i couldnt breath and then sometimes it will go up to 130 and i faint but i also have anxitey, not something i accept but it could all be the cause of it. I have had a heart ultrasound recently and awaiting my results but still put it down to heart problmes. Make your DR do tests anyway just to be sure or if you contact cry they do test days.
Can anyone provide the average cost for a cardiologist to read an EKG?
If you get an app called Qualy it will read it . I paid $50 for the year for unlimited AI readouts or you can pay $100 unlimited human heart techs to read it and send you results.
I had 2 abnormal EKG’s but normal echocardiogram so I’m being told I’m ok. Which is more likely to be correct?
The normal echo is reassuring. It depends why the ekg is abnormal. If the EKG has issues with rhythm and such then its unrelated often to the echo and an independent issue. If the EKG says evidence of heart attack or damage, but then the echo is entirely normal, then the normal echo is correct most likely.
You can follow our twitter at @MustafaAhmedMD
Disclaimer: The comment response is opinion and in no way affiliated with my employer. It is a vague response that is not to be used as direct medical advice and in no way should replace the opinion of a medical provider.
Recently same happened with me ECG shows some issue but ECO is normal
You’re referring to a cardiac ultra sound. An EKG and an ECG are the same thing. EKG is an outdated way saying it older people often use, from the German acronym, and ECG is from the US acronym.
Wait, that’s embarrassing ??. I thought it was electrocardiogram the page was talking about. My bad, disregard!
When I have an EKG done is shows as abnormal with a ? of possible MI in the past. To the best of my knowledge I have never had an MI. When I have an Echo done, they always say that it is normal. Why does this keep happening and will the abnormality ever disappear so that I can have a normal EKG?
The EKG is not necessarily specific for the damage, the normal echo is likely reasuring.
You can follow our twitter at @MustafaAhmedMD
Disclaimer: The comment response is opinion and in no way affiliated with my employer. It is a vague response that is not to be used as direct medical advice and in no way should replace the opinion of a medical provider.
Good day all,
This is very interesting topic, the problem with ECG is that the device are becoming obsolete. And the wide range of heart disease detection is very low. Ask any cardiologist they will tell you the same thing. Did you know that state of the Art ECG can only detect 44% of all known heart disease. Thankfully there are people who are working hard to bring new technology’s to the market. The best exemple is start up company Cardio Phoenix from Canada, they manage to combine ECG+PCG+MCG all in one device. This device will be a game changer when it comes to detecting heart disease.
If and EKG comes back normal, how long is it good for? Can you have an EKG one week with good results, and have problems the next week? Or, if you have good results in one test should you live worry free for a few months?
I am 72 years old and just had a ECG. My heart rate was 65 but it read that I had a 83 ms sinus arrhythmia. Should I be concerned? I have had a heart murmur that comes and goes. As I got older the murmur went away but this the first time I have been told I had a sinus arrhythmia.
Sinus arrhythmia in asymptomatic people in general is not a clinically concerning issue.
You can follow our twitter at @MustafaAhmedMD
Disclaimer: The comment response is opinion and in no way affiliated with my employer. It is a vague response that is not to be used as direct medical advice and in no way should replace the opinion of a medical provider.
I had an echo and was told that all there is trivial insufficiency in the aortic, mitral, pulmonary, and tricuspid valves. I wake every night after 4-5 hours of sleep and feel my heartbeat which is elevated and with higher pulse pressure (60-70). This has been happening for over a month. Also, I am experiencing fatigue and elevated heart rate after showering, heat, and mostly in the morning. I feel better at night.
I would like to get a second opinion as to my cardiac function and valve leakage.
Is it reasonable to think my problems may be valve related?
I had strep a nearly two months ago. A week later I started waking every night after 4-5 hours of sleep. I feel my heartbeat, which is elevated, and with higher pulse pressure (60-70). Also, I am experiencing fatigue and elevated heart rate after showering, heat, and mostly in the morning. I feel better at night.
I had an echo and was told that all there is trivial insufficiency in the aortic, mitral, pulmonary, and tricuspid valves.
I would like to get a second opinion as to my cardiac function and valve leakage.
Is it reasonable to think my problems may be valve related?
If indeed trivial and no other structural abnormality noted the valves are not likely to be related to any significant issues.
You can follow our twitter at @MustafaAhmedMD
Disclaimer: The comment response is opinion and in no way affiliated with my employer. It is a vague response that is not to be used as direct medical advice and in no way should replace the opinion of a medical provider.
Why does the American Heart Association state that an electrocardiogram and EKG are the same, and subsequent sources state the same?
According to the American Heart Institute, an EKG is an electrocardiogram.
https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/heart-attack/diagnosing-a-heart-attack/electrocardiogram-ecg-or-ekg
http://neurosky.com/2015/05/ecg-vs-ekg-whats-the-difference/
I am trying to understand more now that my father is going through so many tests.
Thank you in advance for your time and consideration.
Barry
An ECG (electrocardiogram) and EKG are the same… the Doctor in this article was talking about the difference between an ELECTRO-cardiogram and an ECHO-cardiogram.
ELECTRO, being with patches and probes, ECHO- is an ultrasound of the heart. I hope this explains what you were wondering about.
I’m 28 and have 4 ecgs done the other day result was inverted t waves. What does this mean? All 4 came back the same. I’m getting a scan done to check but no one really told me anything about the results. I’ve been feeling bad for about 10 days pain in chest breathless and pretty dizzy. I assumed I had a chest infection but my chest is clear. All bloods come back okay chest X-ray was fine.
Recently had many ECGs and a echo scan done due to feeling dizzy ( lightheaded and off balance ) and tiredness. The ECGs where normal but the echo scan showed minor pulmonary regurgitation , the doctors say that the valve regurgitation would not cause the dizziness , but id like a second opinion because other than the leaky heart valve I’m fit and healthy therefore it leads me to think that the dizziness is cause by the heart valve
JK writes:
If results are normal from an EKG, is it necessary to have an Echocardiogram?
It depends on the reason the test is done and the information required.
You can follow our twitter at @MustafaAhmedMD
Disclaimer: The comment response is opinion and in no way affiliated with my employer. It is a vague response that is not to be used as direct medical advice and in no way should replace the opinion of a medical provider.
I had an echo done recently and my cardiologist said my EF% was at 40%, I’m a 50-yr old fitness trainer in excellent physical shape. When I questioned the Dr he said would Rx me a diuretic & ACE inhibitors, which I wasn’t interested in at all. He then said we could do a heart catheter after 6-months on meds. I demanded the heart catheter ASAP. 5-days later I had the heart catheter done and it showed an EF% of 60% and ALL looked fine…
Can an ECHO be that far off? The heart catheter is always much more accurate right?
Thanks in advance for any assistance 🙂
Thats odd. The echo should be the better test, and if ambiguous the MRI, it is not standard to assess function through a cath. I would recommend re-reading or repeating the echo to answer this question as im not sure why they should be different.
You can follow our twitter at @MustafaAhmedMD
Disclaimer: The comment response is opinion and in no way affiliated with my employer. It is a vague response that is not to be used as direct medical advice and in no way should replace the opinion of a medical provider.
How accurate are readings from a 12-lead ecg? Can results show a false positive reading of an enlarged atrial if the test is being done while you’re having a hypertensive crisis?
They are to be taken in context, i.e the next step would be an echocardiogram to confirm or rule out.
You can follow our twitter at @MustafaAhmedMD
Disclaimer: The comment response is opinion and in no way affiliated with my employer. It is a vague response that is not to be used as direct medical advice and in no way should replace the opinion of a medical provider.
I am facing some issue in terms of pulse etc. I have borline abnormal acg report and a normal echo report .what does thatmean?
I am facing some issue in terms of pulse etc. I have borline abnormal ecg report and a normal echo report .what does thatmean?
My ecg shows suspected MI but my echo was normal. I’m still worrying about my ecg.
I’ve had two recent ecg’s and both read “probable anteroseptal infarction – old”
My gp is now sending me for a stress test, which has increased my anxiety.
I am 51 female, never smoked, don’t drink, eat a low fat, low sugar healthy diet and only in last 2 years a bit overweight now. I usually do 45 min in fat burn zone on row machine and treadmill each day.
Should I be worried about what these ecg’s are saying? Could I have heart disease?
My ecg said possible left atrial enlargement which really freaked me out I can’t stop thinking about it I’ve never had this before I’m very overweight but overall healthy could having panic attack and frequent panic attacks cause this?
How oftenly should I do ecg/ekg If I have mild valve prolapse or regurgitation
My EKG and chest X-Ray was normal when I got it at the hospital but I only get 5-8 hours of sleep every night and I noticed I’m waking up with a heart rate around 80-100 bpm. When I go asleep at night initially my heart rate is excellent at 45-65 bpm. I noticed after a little while after being up in the morning my heart rate ends up going back down into the 60s bpm again. What should I do?
Dr Ahmed has provided a clear and concise comparative overview of an EKG and echocardiogram. Thank you.
I had ekgs done for the past five years and they came back normal. However December 12, 2021 I had an ekg done and it said I have a prolonged QTc-Bazett which equaled 475. I am a 50 year old female. I drank 2 cups of coffee before the test and I was very nervous. Could this have an impact?
Thank you. Very helpful. I have a slight chest pain but could be muscular too. I had an EKG today and was concerned that I should have had echo but sounds like I’m on the right track and they will pursue echo if necessary. Thanks again.
if my ecg comes out with a right branch bundle block and my echo comes out normal what would cause the ECG to show it and the echo not to?
I had t waves inversion and i did ehco it was normal i went to many cardiologist i am 30 year old female every said that you are fine but I don’t believe and continuously in smart watch I monitor my self and thinking about negativity
I had t waves inversion and i did ehco it was normal i went to many cardiologist i am 30 year old female every said that you are fine but I don’t believe and continuously in smart watch I monitor my self and thinking about negativity what should i do
Two months ago my ekg was abnormal. An ekg taken yesterday was normal. What is happening?
I have a question below that requires some background case history.
Current age 53yr Afro Caribbean male, that had no previous history of heart disease or family members with any heart conditions. And no symptoms/history of chest/neck pain or discomfort.
September ‘21 had a Syncope episode that resulted in a solo car accident no injuries. ECG and Holter monitor ordered.
ECG in October ‘21:
Ventricular rate 114
Atrial rate 114
P-R Interval 168
QRS Duration 88
Q-T Interval 338
QTC Calculation 465
P Axis 83
R Axis 104
T Axis 58
Diagnosis: Sinus tachycardia, Right atrial enlargement, Rightward axis, Abnormal ECG
7-Day Holtet Monitor Oct ‘21. During that period I experienced another syncope episode as a result from the concussion sustained during the accident. I noted date & time of incident and cardiologist found no abnormal readings prior, during or after that time frame.
Results:
Sinus Rate >100 bpm = 16%
Sinus Rate <50 bpm = 0%
2 episodes of SVT noted with HR Range 116-135 bpm Average 124 bpm
Final interpretation:
•Sinus rhythm 34-89-179 bpm
•2 SVT runs longest for ~4 beats
•2nd degree Mobitz type 1 AV block noted
•Rare PACS, PVCs
•Symptoms corresponds to sinus rhythm
A year later August ‘22 admitted to ER and ICU because of an epiglottis infection. This is the only time in which I can recall experiencing palpitations, after being informed, how close I came to death. Due to elevated heart rate another ECG was ordered plus an Echo cardiogram, with a follow up visit for another ECG 2 months after release.
Echo Contrast Study September ’22
Interpretation Summary:
There is mild concentric left ventricular hypertrophy. Left ventricular systolic function is normal. The left ventricular ejection fraction is between 60 and 65%. I can provide more detailed info of all the calculations and breakdowns if that is required to help answer my question below.
ECG in September ‘22:
Ventricular rate 105
Atrial rate 105
P-R Interval 144
QRS Duration 74
Q-T Interval 365
QTC Calculation 470
P Axis 72
R Axis 67
T Axis 52
Diagnosis: Sinus tachycardia, Biatrial enlargement, Abnormal ECG
2 month ECG follow up
***Note had taken prescribe medication, 20 mg of Adderall prior to office visit and Biked into appointment trying to get back in shape from previous hospital stay***
ECG in November ‘22
Ventricular rate 123
Atrial rate 123
P-R Interval 164
QRS Duration 86
Q-T Interval 324
QTC Calculation 463
P Axis 70
R Axis 107
T Axis 48
Diagnosis: Sinus tachycardia with frequent premature complexes, Right atrial enlargement, Rightward axis, Abnormal ECG
Diagnosis: premature ventricular complexes are now present when compared with October ‘21 ECG. Not sure why the more recent (Sept ’22 ECG) is omitted in formulating this diagnosis.*
As a result of the accident back in September’21 my driving privileges were suspended and I did not contest this ruling as I was on a Leave of Absence and had no need to really drive anymore.
However, circumstances have changed and I am being offered a new position with a substantial pay increase and have the following question.
QUESTION:
Evaluating the information above do you see any reason why my driving privileges should not be reinstated?
Thanks in advance for your time and consideration in this matter.
I have a clear ECG but I have other symptoms of heart disease is it better to be safe and have an echo? I would like to put my mind at ease as I have had other heth issues that put me at a higher risk for heart disease and other issues.
Hello. I just turned 50. I am awaiting results from my echo. There was a lot of yellow in the Doppler that was added and I’m worried. My maternal Grandmother passed from heart issues and my mother has had stents and 2 h/a…