Echocardiogram
A noninvasive test using ultrasound to create a computer image of the heart showing its size, shape, and position, including the interior and its beating motion. May help diagnose problems such as damage from a heart attack and can also show infection, blood clots, or tumors. Compare ELECTROCARDIOGRAM, below.
Edema
Swelling caused by excess fluid trapped in body tissues.
Efficacy
In medicine, the measure of the ability of a treatment to create the desired beneficial effect.
Electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG)
A noninvasive test that produces a line graph showing the electrical activity of the heart. The graph can reveal abnormal conditions and help diagnose heart attacks and irregular heartbeats called arrhythmias.
Electroencephalogram (EEG)
A test of electrical brain activity, made by placing electrodes on the scalp and recording electrical impulses on a computer. The results may help diagnose brain and sleep disorders.
Electronic Health Record (EHR)
A digital format used to record medical information about a person. Stored on a computer, electronic health records can be seen by all of a patient’s healthcare team.
Embolism
A block in an artery caused by blood clots or substances such as fat globules, infected tissue, or cancer cells.
Emphysema
A noncancerous disorder in which the tiny air sacs (alveoli) of the lungs become damaged and make breathing difficult. Primarily caused by smoking or long-term exposure to irritants, it is a type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Endoscopy
A procedure that uses an endoscope, a thin, tube-like instrument with a miniature camera, to examine the inside of the body.
Epithelial
Referring to the epithelium, the thin layer of tissue that covers internal and external surfaces of the body.
