Read about the latest news on ECG / EKG Machines

If you have been diagnosed with arrhythmia, it is often difficult to know how serious the problem really is. Arrhythmias, or abnormal heart beats, affect many segments of the population, even children, and may or may not be something to worry about. Some arrhythmias are “chronic”, meaning they occur on a consistent basis and can be tracked on an EKG machine. Others are temporary, which means they can be caused by external influences such as drugs, alcohol, tobacco and certain chemical agents. These are more difficult to identify because they occur sporadically throughout the day.

Because some arrhythmias happens so quickly, the patient’s overall heart rhythm is not affected, but when an arrhythmia lasts longer, it can affect the heart’s ability to pump blood effectively. Arrhythmia is broken down into two basic categories: Tachycardia is a fast heartbeat and bradycardia is a slow heart rate.

Typically, the heart rate is faster during stress or physical activity and slower when the body is at rest. Even when there is no sign of heart disease, about 20 percent of adults will have frequent premature ventricular beats, including brief episodes of tachycardia, during a 24 hour period.

The most worrisome type of arrhythmia is caused by damage to the heart muscle, usually from a heart attack. Heart attacks often cause scarring and deposits of abnormal tissue, which can interfere with AV conduction. This often creates areas of electrically “inert” heart tissue, or areas where cells fire abnormally.

Not all arrhythmias are detectable through electrocardiograms, and not all of them have detectable symptoms. However, most patients with a life-threatening arrhythmia will have some symptoms, such as fatigue, fainting, a fluttering feeling in the chest, or difficulty breathing. When these symptoms arise, it is important for patients to visit their doctor immediately for a full EKG work-up.

Technorati Tags: ecg, ECG Machines, EKG, EKG Machines, Used Medical Equipment

The latest innovation from GE Healthcare is the Mac400 portable electrocardiograph machine. This new compact EKG machine has been specifically designed to meet the changing needs of physicians, particularly those who work with patients in rural areas with little access to healthcare facilities. By using the same reliable ECG technology found it GE’s popular Marquette 12SL model, these machines lack nothing in terms of accuracy and quality.

Lightweight and easy to operate, the Mac400 is easy to configure to meet the needs of a patient, allowing for confident clinical decisions and cardiac care.

This new ECG machine recently debuted at the MEDICA trade show in Germany, and it has proven to be an instant sensation in the medical instrument industry. Orders have been pouring in from medical centers around the world, whose are in need of affordable diagnostic tools that known no boundaries. Unlike GE’s larger EKG machines, the Mac400 is targeted to a completely different set of buyers, which has caused the company to rethink its global product marketing strategy for the product.

Currently, this new portable EKG machine is manufactured in Bangalore India for Latin American and EMEA markets, and in Wuxi for Southeast Asia and Chinese markets. The equipment is certified for sale in 113 countries around the world.

GE Healthcare has become known for manufacturing technologically advanced equipment that has set the new standards in the industry. Through their consistent interaction with leading cardiologists, GE has impacted clinical guidelines through the development of cutting-edge EKG machines.

Technorati Tags: ecg, ECG Machines, EKG, EKG Machines, Used Medical Equipment

As the heart beats, an electrical current is pumping through it as well. Were it not for this pulse, the heart would not be able to contract and push blood throughout the body. However, if the electrical signals in the heart are abnormal or out of synch, a person’s heart will not operate properly.
In 1877, the electrocardiograph, or EKG machine, was first created by Augustus Waller. The machine was designed to interpret and graph the electrical activity of the heart and measure the heart-rate and rhythm of the heart muscle.
An EKG machine works by strategically placing electrodes on the skin of the arms, legs and chest. Most of today’s machines use 12 to 15 separate electrodes, but there are some machines that only use three. As the patient’s heart beats, the electrodes transmit the signals of the heart to the EKG monitor, which translates the activity into a sequence of three waveforms. The waves are called P, T, and QRS. P waves are short and mark the activity in the heart’s atria. QRS waves measure the heart’s ventricular activity, and T waves are formed when the ventricles are renewed.
The test itself is painless and will not create any kind of electrical shock, but it is important for doctors to be aware of any medications a patient is taking. Some doctors will order an EKG stress test as well, which requires the patient to run on a treadmill while hooked up to machine’s electrodes. A stress test evaluates the heart’s activity while it is in more intense demand for oxygen.
Overall, EKG machines are a very valuable tool for doctors to diagnose the cause of chest pains, shortness of breath or heart palpitations. Doctors look for abnormalities in the duration, direction and amplitude of the waveforms, as well as the results of other tests, before offering a diagnosis.

Technorati Tags: ecg, ECG Machines, EKG, EKG Machines, Used Medical Equipment

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.

Technorati Tags: ecg machine, ECG Machines, ekg machine, EKG Machines