The electrocardiogram in ambulatory medical practice.

The electrocardiogram is one of medicine's most frequently ordered procedures. A review of the current use of electrocardiograms in ambulatory clinical practice and the possible information that might be supplied by an electrocardiogram was undertaken. The electrocardiogram's advantages and disadvantages when used in evaluating specific cardiac disorders are discussed including the use of the electrocardiogram as a baseline. Both their values and their limitations in diagnosis and management are examined to support the authors' conclusion that electrocardiograms should be used as an adjunct to clinical diagnosis, not as a screening procedure.