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.

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Another compactly designed specimen from the GE Marquette series of ECG machines, the GE Marquette Mac 5000 Premium Resting ECG Machine is at top of the line interpretive system that combines additional features with the usual functionalities and features that are incorporated by the highly popular Marquette MAC series of machines. As said by the manufacturers, it delivers high performance using advanced capabilities that can be offered only by the most extensive collection of interpretive algorithms used in the ECG machine industry.

It is a highly evolved non invasive testing solution that combines unparalleled hardware technology with a complete suite of networkable software solutions which optimizes output and productivity which makes it ideal for any facility that aspires for a high performing ECG machine.

Its sophisticated advanced functionalities deliver complete solutions for advanced ECG applications and extend a high degree of performance to the largest possible user base. It allows for advanced 12 lead ECG computer analysis and interpretation with P-wave signal averaging, late potential analysis, ACI-TIPI and gender specific interpretational criteria as part of the revolutionary 12 SL trademarked technology from the GE Marquette series for the identification of arrhythmia.

The MAC 5000 is a premier resting ECG system that delivers the most advanced disease diagnostic management application that most machines fall short of achieving. The late potential analysis offers effective management for ventricular and atrial arrhythmia as well as chest pain. It delivers broad based connectivity solutions using the MUSE CV information system for data storage and retrieval of ECG interpretational data.

The backlit LCD screen display is of high resolution and has waveform enhancement capability. It displays data such as heart rate, patient demographics, filter settings, warning and prompts as well as help messages. The interpreted data can be printed out in high resolution using the thermal dot array printer that is inbuilt and works on Z fold paper of A or A4 sizes on Z fold paper.

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An electrocardiogram, known as an EKG, is one of the first tests ordered by physicians for patients that are suspected of having heart problems. The EKG machine assesses the electrical activity of the heart by measuring time intervals and the amount of activity that passes through the muscles of the heart. Every time the heart beats, it sends an electrical wave through the heart. These electrical impulses trigger the heart muscles to compress, forcing the heart to pump out blood. Measuring the length of time it takes for the electric impulses to travel to the different areas of the heart allows physicians to determine if the activity is in the normal range. It can reveal abnormalities if electrical activity is irregular.

These electrical waves are recorded by the EKG machine and then displayed on a graph paper that is printed out by the physician.

This noninvasive procedure is performed by applying sticky electrodes to the patient’s body. Electrodes are placed on the chest, arms, legs and depending on the type of EKG machine used, may be placed on the shoulders and hips as well. The patient is connected to the EKG machine via the wires that are attached to the electrodes. The patient is instructed to remain still during the procedure to allow for an accurate recording of the EKG. Once all of the electrodes are applied and the test is administered, the actual recording will take only a few moments.

There are no risks associated with an EKG stress test. It is a safe and pain free procedure with no reports of serious reactions. The most common minor side effect is skin irritation at the site of the electrodes after they are removed. Occasionally, normal recordings occur in patients that have substantial heart disease. Additionally, an EKG may present as abnormal while the heart is functioning properly with no abnormalities. For this reason it is always best to obtain a second opinion. It is recommended that patients presenting with an abnormal EKG test or patients with normal results that are presenting with abnormal cardiac symptoms should make an appointment with a cardiac specialist.

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The normal kind of EKG test is done while in a resting position. This is when you lay down on a bed, the EKG technicians attach the electrodes to your arms, legs, and chest area and you lay down for a short while the test is done. This is for about one minute. In the event when this type of EKG does not provide sufficient or significant results, the doctor or cardiologist will request one of the following three types of EKG machine tests:

In many instances serious heart diseases or heart malfunctioning can not be diagnosed when you are in a resting phase. This means, only when there is some strain on your heart like when you perform some kind of activity and your heart needs to work harder, these problems shows up and can be diagnosed effectively and accurately. With a normal stress test you will be walking on a treadmill or pedal on a fitness bicycle.

Now this is all very well if you are able to walk and perform some kind of action, but what happens to patients that cannot walk for instance? With the advancement of medical technology, these patients are injected with a chemical that causes the heart to beat faster and cause your blood to flow faster, resembling the affect normal exercise will have on your heart. In these events, an echocardiography or a nuclear heart scan is done to trace the functioning of the heart.

The process of nuclear heart scanning requires a radioactive tracer to be injected into the bloodstream while a special radiology camera follow the tracer as it travels through your heart and different arteries.

When an echocardiography is used, it makes use of sound waves to indicate the flow of your blood through the heart chambers, functioning of the heart chamber valves and the amount of strength your heart muscle uses to perform these different actions.

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Most of us associate having an EKG test with a frantic trip the emergency room, or lying flat on our back in our doctor’s or cardiologist’s office having a diagnostic procedure. But you can have an EKG stress test while you are at home or out and about doing your normal activities.

This type of EKG is called an ambulatory EKG, or more commonly a Holter monitor, after its inventor Dr. Norman J. Holter. A Holter monitor is a device which is designed to be worn for an extended period of time, from 24 hours up to a month. Like a standard EKG machine, it uses electrodes to record the electrical activity of the heart, though it may use a smaller number of electrodes for data capture, even as few as three.

Unlike a normal EKG test, however, the Holter monitor is designed to allow doctors to observe and diagnose conditions which may be difficult to observe using a normal EKG. For example, a patient may having occasional arrhythmia’s. The chance of catching the patient during that time, at a facility equipped to perform an EKG, setting up the EKG machine, and catching the arrhythmia while it is happening is so small as to be nonexistent.

In contrast, if a patient is wearing an ambulatory EKG or Holter monitor, the instant recording of data is only the push of a button away. For example, patients wearing this cardiac monitor are instructed to start the device recording any time they feel a symptom of what is expected may be a cardiac event. Many patients are also instructed to keep a journal, recording any medically significant information, including date and time of experiencing symptoms, symptoms experienced, activity at time of symptom onset, duration of symptoms, etc. Not only do you then have subjective information, but you have the objective record of the patient’s heart’s electrical activity while symptomatic.

This can provide clinical data useful in diagnosing—and ruling out—a variety of cardiac conditions, including:

* Atrial fibrillation
* Multifocal atrial tachycardia
* Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia
* Ventricular tachycardia
* Bradycardia

Holter monitors are also used to observe the way the heart reacts to normal every day activity and stress, or as a more thorough assessment of heart functioning.

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While many people understand the importance of having an annual physical exam, few people think of having an annual heart exam. But heart disease claims a number of lives each year. Often when heart disease is caught early, it can be treated, and the outcomes are good. Here are some guidelines for scheduling your first heart exam.

* Both men and women need to have annual heart exams. If you have a family history of heart disease, or two more more known risk factors (smoking, obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, lack of exercise, or high cholesterol), you should have your first annual exam around age 35 for men, 40 for women. Otherwise, the first annual exam should occur around 40 for men, and at around the time of menopause for women.

* Heart exams should begin with a complete medical history. A general physical exam should be given, including blood pressure and heart rate. Lab tests should include cholesterol and lipid panels, and tests for diabetes. An EKG test should also be conducted. If the EKG machine results show a problem, further testing, including an ambulatory test, a stress test, or heart catheterization may be appropriate.

* Heart exams should be given annually. The best outcomes occur when heart disease is recognized early and treated appropriately.

* Anyone who experiences symptoms that suggest heart disease should seek earlier evaluation, including emergency care if symptoms of a heart attack are present. Symptoms that suggest heart disease include fainting, dizziness, weakness, shortness of breath, irregular heart beats, rapid heart beats, and discomfort in the chest during activity.

It is important to remember that heart disease does not always give symptoms to warn us that it is present. This is why early and regular testing is important. An EKG machine test is simple, does not take long, and is noninvasive. But the information it provides can save lives, especially when it helps us recognize impending heart disease. While an EKG is an essential tool for providing care for the heart, the information it gives us cannot be evaluated in a vacuum. The EKG machine is just one of the diagnostic tools using in evaluating the condition of the heart and circulatory system.

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