that machine in the hospital with lines

[alpacinou]

Hello,

In movies, when a character is hospitalized and then dies, they sometimes show that EKG machine with a bunch of lines and then the line become flat.

How can this be expressed in English? Is there an idiom for it?

Something like this?

The EKG machine stopped beeping, its lines running flat.

By the way, can it be used in the context of talking about the current pandemic? I mean are COVID patients attached to such machines?

 

[jutfrank]

The verb is to flatline.

 

[alpacinou]

The verb is to flatline.

Can I say this about the current pandemic?

The EKG machine stopped beeping, and then flatline.

Can I also say "the patients flatline"?

 

[GoesStation]

Can I say this about the current pandemic?

The EKG machine stopped beeping, and then flatline.

Can I also say "the patients flatline"?

The second sentence is correct. The first one isn't because it's patients, not machines, that flatline.

Most patients of any kind in modern hospitals are attached to heart monitors, also known as electrocardiogram machines. This is conventionally abbreviated with the German EKG.

 

[alpacinou]

The second sentence is correct. The first one isn't because it's patients, not machines, that flatline.

Most patients of any kind in modern hospitals are attached to heart monitors, also known as electrocardiogram machines. This is conventionally abbreviated with the German EKG.

So, is this okay? Imagine you want to describe what's going on in hospitals during the pandemic.

One by one, the EKG machines stop beeping, and then the patients flatline without the doctors being able to save them.

Is there another way this could be described?

 

[Tarheel]

That's fine if you assume everybody dies. (Most patients who go on ventilators do not survive.)
:-|

 

[alpacinou]

That's fine if you assume everybody dies. (Most patients who go on ventilators do not survive.)
:-|

I'm not assuming anything. This is what is happening. I want to focus on those who unfortunately don't make it. So, do you think it doesn't work to describe the current pandemic?

 

[Tarheel]

I would say it describes the situation in the ICU with parents on ventilators.

 

[alpacinou]

I would say it describes the situation in the ICU with parents on ventilators.

I intend to describe the situation in hospitals. Do you think the sentence is natural?

One by one, the EKG machines stop beeping, and then the patients flatline without the doctors being able to save them.

 

[Tarheel]

Yes, it's good. (Not evety hospitalized patient is on a ventilator.)

 

[alpacinou]

I googled "patients flatline" and pandemic and no results came up.

 

[Tarheel]

I googled "patients flatline" and got some interesting results.

 

[alpacinou]

I googled "patients flatline" and got some interesting results.

About the pandemic? Could you please share some of their links?

 

[emsr2d2]

I'm far more used to them being called ECG machines. Those three letters make more sense for the English spelling of "electrocardiogram". A quick Google search tells me that ECG and EKG are exactly the same thing.

 

[alpacinou]

I'm far more used to them being called ECG machines. Those three letters make more sense for the English spelling of "electrocardiogram". A quick Google search tells me that ECG and EKG are exactly the same thing.

I see. So, what do you think about this sentence?

One by one, the ECG machines stop beeping, and then the patients flatline without the doctors being able to do anything about it.

 

[GoesStation]

I'm far more used to them being called ECG machines. Those three letters make more sense for the English spelling of "electrocardiogram". A quick Google search tells me that ECG and EKG are exactly the same thing.

They're called EKGs in the United States, apparently to avoid confusion with the similar-sounding "EEG".

 

[alpacinou]

I'm still not sure if the sentence in post #15 is natural sounding and okay.

 

[Tarheel]

I'm still not sure if the sentence in post #15 is natural sounding and okay.

Goes gave it a like.

 

[alpacinou]

Goes gave it a like.

Will you do that too to double my joy?

 

[Tarheel]

Will you do that too to double my joy?

I did.