Read about the latest news on ECG / EKG Machines

It’s hard to believe that a simple piece of medical equipment like an EKG machine can detect and record abnormal heart rhythms enough to diagnose specific forms of heart disease.  What is so surprising about this is that the EKG machine has been around longer than most other types of medical equipment.

As our aging population increases, it is expected that atrial rhythm abnormalities will become a much larger problem in the United States.  Currently, there are approximately 2.2 million Americans affected by atrial fibrillation, a disease that occurs more about one and half times more frequently in men than in women.  Since this condition is responsible for more than 60,000 strokes every year, doctors rely heavily on the diagnoses given by EKG testing as their most important preventive measure.

Some reasons why abnormal heart rhythms occur include:

• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Cardiac disturbances, such as congestive heart failure
• Ischemic disease of the heart
• Congenital heart defects
• Heart valve damage
• Thyroid conditions
• Alcohol abuse
• Lung infections
• Drug abuse
• Excessive caffeine consumption

In order to prevent an increase in heart rhythm abnormalities, it is important that patients at high risk for heart disease undergo a full workup of cardiovascular testing at least once per year (preferably every six months).  By administering a battery of tests including an EKG/ECG test and heart stress test, a primary physician can detect early signs of atrial fibrillation or other diseases of the heart. If these signs are evident in a patient, the next step is a visit to the cardiologist for additional diagnostic tests and treatment.

With heart disease on the rise in the United States, accounting for one in every five deaths, scientists have been working feverishly to develop technologies that will prevent cardiovascular disease and heart attacks.

Most forms of cardiovascular disease are treated with pharmaceuticals or surgery, and while medicinal techniques have improved dramatically in this area, there is still much that needs to be done.  EKG machines are an important part of regular heart monitoring and can be used to raise red flags about a patient’s heart problems before a life-threatening episode can occur.  However, testing on an EKG machine is usually administered only at a doctor’s office or hospital, with only at-home blood pressure monitoring in between.

A new, life-saving device may help patients with heart disease to be monitored all the time.  It is called the Angel Med Guardian, and it is about the same size as a standard pacemaker.  While currently in the development stage, this new device will be positioned under the skin near the collar bone, with a wire that contacts the patient’s right ventricle.  It works in conjunction with an external telemetry device that is programmed to monitor and communicate signs of an impending heart attack.  Using Bluetooth technology and a series of audible alarms, the device can ensure rapid medical assistance is on its way to the patient.

Now, instead of relying solely on periodic testing on EKG machines and other heart monitors, the Angel Med Guardian will be an accurate predictor of an impending heart attack in real time.  Still in its second phase of clinical trials, this revolutionary device t is expected to gain wide adoption early on among cardiologists and their high risk patients.

In most clinical settings, EKG machines are used to detect heart abnormalities in adults, but for those who work with children, it is important to know the differences in what is considered “normal” for these tests. Just like the heart rate of a child is dissimilar to that of an adult, the parameters to be studied in an electrocardiogram are also different. Children also develop common arrhythmias that may not be seen in adults, so their treatment options will vary.

EKG machines still study the same waveforms (P, QRS and T) in a child’s heart, because the conduction pathways are the same, and the approach to analyzing these signals doesn’t change from child to adult. Even the mechanisms of arrhythmias occur similarly in adults and children. However, there are important differences in how these ECG results are understood and interpreted.

For example, children shift from right ventricular dominance as newborns into left ventricular dominance by the time they reach their first birthday. Another major difference in the ECG interpretation for children is the type of arrhythmias (abnormal rhythms) that are most commonly seen. The most common ones include bradycardia, sinus arrhythmia, and supraventricular tachycardia. Adults are more likely to see results such as atrial fibrillation or flutter, and ventricular tachycardia, which are rarely seen in a child’s EKG results.
Each of these conditions must be carefully studied, in relation to how it may affect children differently than adults. Pediatric EKG tests should only be evaluated by individuals who are aware of these differences may impact the ultimate diagnosis and treatment of the patient.

In a recent news release from the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN), comes a strong recommendation for helping to prevent medication induced heart problems. The AACN has had concerns about the prevention of TdP (Torsade de Points), a rare problem with the heart’s rhythm that can cause a sudden drop in blood pressure. TdP can also cause patients to faint or lead to sudden cardiac arrest or ventricular fibrillation.

Their recommendation is that patients who are being treated with certain medications undergo testing on an EKG machine regularly. These medications include intravenous antibiotics, anti-arrhythmia drugs and some antipsychotics. The reason for frequent EKG testing is some of these drugs can prolong the Q-T interval of the heart. When patients undergo regular monitoring, caregivers can become aware of this abnormality immediately and act upon it.

Studies have shown that when a patient is monitored continuously on an EKG machines, TdP can be detected more readily, as well as other cardiac irregularities that may lead to arrhythmia. When these TdP symptoms are recognized, it is possible to stop administering that the culprit drugs before any serious conditions arise.
In addition to including a list of drugs that may cause TdP (alone or in combination with other drugs), the AACN statement makes the following recommendation AACN says that any at-risk TdP patient should receive ongoing ECG testing to guide physicians in managing the outcome of a drug-induced extended Q-T interval, and provide immediate treatment at its onset. This way, if the warning signs are recognized on the EKG machine’s monitor, cardiac arrest can be avoided.

Ever since the discovery that living tissue has certain electronic properties, researchers began searching for a way to measure these signals. But it was the early research into the “electromotive effect” in 1787 by Aloysio Luigi that ultimately brought forth the development of the electrocardiogram, or EKG machine. In his experiments, he was able to prove that living tissues, muscles in particular, can generate electricity. When other scientists started investigating this effect, it wasn’t long before the discovered the electronic potential of a beating heart. Eventually, after Willem Einthoven introduced the string galvanometer, it was finally possible for these impulses to be measured.

When the signal created by the heart was applied to a string galvanometer, it caused the string to move, and the resulting deflections were recorded as a graph on paper. This early version of the EKG machine was first used in 1903 and it wasn’t long before large-scale manufacturing began throughout the world. One of the first companies to make these machines was Edelmann and Sons (Munich, Germany). The electrocardiogram was later made in the US by the Hindle Instrument Company.
Since the early 20th century, many improvements have been made to the design of the EKG machine, including the decreased size of the electromagnet. These advances have made it possible for EKGs to be done in mobile emergency units. Another major improvement was the ability for doctors to attach the machine’s electrodes directly to the skin, rather than submerging them in jars containing sodium chloride solution. Amplifiers have also been added, which have improved the quality of the electronic signal. With the introduction of computer interfaces and microelectronics, today’s EKG machines look quite a bit different from the early models, but they are no more accurate than Einthoven’s original model.

Little more than a century ago, measuring the heart’s electrical signals to diagnose health issues was a distant concept. But ever since the electrocardiogram (EKG machine) was invented, doctors have been able to measure these signals by comparing their relative voltage to those of a healthy heart. This type of measurement is only possible because the body is able to conduct electricity and EKG machines are designed to pick up these signals.

By attaching electrodes to the surface of the body in specific areas, EKG machines can pick up the electrical signals that represent various phases of the heart’s rhythm. The first pulse that is measured is called the P wave, which picks up the electrical signal generated by the sinotrial node, or pacemaker, of the heart. The second and largest signal is the QRS complex, which represents the relaxing of the atria, followed by the contraction of the ventricles. Finally, the T wave measures the repolarization of the ventricles. Each of these signals can be studied independently or in concert with the others to detect a variety of cardiac issues.

The data generated by EKG machines can help doctors detect several problems related the heart’s function. These include the heart rate, the presence of hypertension, the heart’s chemical balance, damage to certain areas of the heart, and arrhythmias. Additionally, by looking at a depression between the S and T waves, EKGs can observe and diagnose an arterial obstruction. EKG machines known as Holter monitors are designed to make these detections.
An electrocardiogram test is often performed for the first time at a physician’s office as part of a routine physical work-up, but it is more commonly seen in the field of cardiology. While other forms of cardiac testing have been introduced in the past several decades, the EKG machine is still heavily relied upon throughout the medical community.

Many healthcare professionals use EKG machines every day, but they know very little about how these diagnostic machines work. Learning more about the mechanics of EKG machines helps medical centers and clinicians make more educated decisions about the purchase and maintenance of these machines.

An electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) machine graphically records the electrical impulses of the heart muscles, and it is used to identify abnormal heart rhythms. Initially introduced in the early 1900’s, it has become an invaluable device in medical diagnostics.

Basically, EKG machines function by reading the electrical signals produced by the heart’s four chambers, which are made up of two pumps. The left pump takes blood from the lungs and distributes it to the rest of the body, while the right pump receives the blood returning from the body and sends it back to the lungs. When the atrium accepts incoming blood, it contracts, transferring the blood to the ventricles, which then pump blood away from the heart.

This whole pumping process depends on the heart’s sinotrial node, or pacemaker region, which is located in the right atrium. Here, an electrical impulse diffuses various ions across the cell’s membranes. It is this impulse that causes the atria to contract and push blood to the right and left ventricles. All of this occurs within milliseconds, so it is crucial that the heart’s impulses are functioning properly. By measuring the intensity and rhythm of these electrical impulses, an EKG machine can quickly recognize irregularities that may cause the heart to malfunction, or misfire.
Because it is able to recognize potential problems with the electrical impulses of the heart, regular EKG testing is an essential part a cardiac health assessment.

Many patients make the mistake of thinking an echocardiogram and EKG tests are one and the same, but that is not the case. While their formal names may sound the same – electrocardiogram machines and echocardiogram machines each perform a unique test on the patient’s heart.

An EKG machine uses small electrodes that attach to a patient’s arms, legs and chest to record the electrical activity in the heart. It can detect heart rhythms that are either too fast or too slow, as well as arrhythmia and conditions like cardiomyopathy.

An echocardiogram machine takes an ultrasound of the heart by measuring the reverberated sound waves as they bounce off of the structure of the heart muscle. Many doctors find the results of an echo more valuable because it gives them a real-time view of the heart.

Instead of producing an image of the heart, an EKG machine graphs the electrical impulses of the heart to diagnose the presence of cardiovascular disease. Because electrical disturbances within the heart will not be anatomically detectable in an echocardiogram, EKG testing provides doctors with valuable information about the rhythms of the heart.

On the other hand, echocardiography shows the physical characteristics of the heart on a video screen, based on the recorded ultrasound waves that reflect back to the probe. It allows doctors to visualize certain cardiac pathologies that may have only been implied by the EKG machine. By directly visualizing each of the heart’s chambers, an echocardiogram can detect enlargement of the heart, abnormal septal motion and various other structural disorders.

EKG machines and echocardiograms are distinct and complementary diagnostic tests, and are not competitive with one another. When a patient exhibits signs of heart disease, most doctors will order both tests.

Most adults over the age of 45 will undergo a series of heart screenings as part of an annual checkup. Testing may require the use of an EKG machine, but it may or may not include the use of an exercise stress test. In many cases, patients are not asked to take a stress test unless they have had symptoms of heart disease.

A stress test is one where a doctor learns how well the heart responds to exercise, and it is an essential part of a comprehensive cardiac exam. Patients are asked to walk on a treadmill while hooked up to an EKG machine. As the body starts working harder throughout the test, it also requires more oxygen. This means the heart will need to pump more blood. An exercise stress test will show if the blood supply in the arteries that lead to the heart is sufficient. It can also help determine how much exercise is appropriate for the patient.

Here is how a stress test works:

* The patient is first hooked up the electrical leads of an EKG machine
* Then, they are asked to walk in place slowly while on a treadmill
* The speed of the treadmill increases and the crossramp is tilted to simulate the effect of walking uphill
* Some patients may be asked to breath into a tube periodically during the test
* Immediately afterward, the patient is asked to lie down for a blood pressure check
* The doctor assesses the patient’s heart rate, breathing, EKG results and blood pressure, as well as the level of fatigue the patient feels during the test.

Using a stress test, doctors can determine the presence of coronary artery disease and predict the patient’s risk for a heart attack, among other things. If the results of the test are worrisome, the doctor may order additional tests, such as a nuclear stress test.

Each year in the United States, many children fall victim to cardiac arrest. In fact about 7,000 young people in America die from this preventable disease every year.

When a doctor uses EKG Machines to test patients it can serve as a valuable alert that something is wrong, but children are rarely tested on such devices. In many cases, a simple EKG screening could have saved their lives.

Doctors are challenged with the task of predicting heart disease among adults, even when they have a lot of symptoms. But sadly, when it comes to children, often the first visible symptom of heart problems is a serious or fatal collapse.

While some coronary artery abnormalities cannot be found using an EKG machine, the truth is that the most common fatal heart problem of young people – cardiomyopathy – is easy to spot. Using EKG Machines can significantly decreases the number of heart-related deaths among our youth. Even testing for such problems as heart arrhythmia can be the difference between life and death in many cases.

A new push to implement EKG testing among 6 to 18-year-olds is being championed by many nationally known organizations. These include the Cardiac Arrhythmia Syndromes Foundation (CAS) and the American Heart Association and many pediatric health advocates across the nation.

With so many young people dying needlessly from preventable heart conditions, many parents are opting to have their children screened. When a simple test can be administered using EKG Machines at a local hospital or doctor’s office, parents should consider making this potentially life-changing decision to get children screened early and often.