Read about the latest news on ECG / EKG Machines

There are approximately 4 million people in the United States that are diagnosed with a condition known as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Of those 4 million people, over half of those diagnosed, are children under the age of eighteen. Patients diagnosed with ADHD typically have a greater difficulty focusing on tasks, which can lead to poor school performance, and increased levels of physical energy. To treat ADHD patients, pediatricians use a combination of behavioral and medication therapies.

Pediatricians commonly prescribe stimulant medications, such as Ritalin, Concerta, and Adderall to control the behaviors of children and teens that are diagnosed with ADHD. Some studies have shown that stimulant drugs can increase a person’s heart rate and thereby pose serious possible heart risk for those who take them. For this reason, The American Heart Association (AMA) has recommended that doctors provide their patients with a thorough physical exam and screen their patients for heart problems by documenting family history and giving them an electrocardiogram (EKG, ECG) test before prescribing any stimulant medications to ensure that a patient does not have an undiagnosed heart issue. A child who is diagnosed with a heart problem can take the stimulant drugs, but should be monitored frequently by parents and their physician while on the medication.

Abnormal heart rhythms can lead to a sudden onset of cardiac arrest. By recording the electrical activity of the heart, an EKG machine test can detect any abnormal heart rhythms. One in four pediatric cardiologists recommend that to ensure children are treated in the safest manner, a preliminary EKG can greatly reduce the risks that these medications can cause. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has required that these drugs have label warnings after 45 reports of problems, some resulting in death had occurred in children. However, there is still a controversy and some debate in the medical community as to whether an EKG machine test is necessary or being effectively used in this particular situation.

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An electrocardiogram is also known as an EKG or an ECG in medical terminology. In simple terms, it is a harmless and pain-free test that measures and records heart rhythm. It can detect electrical activity, as it passes through the various parts of the heart and it can record both regular and irregular heartbeats. Once the heart rate is detected it can be displayed on either a monitor or on graph paper that the physician can read and interpret for the patient.

An EKG machine detects heart activity through electrodes that are placed on the bare skin of a patient. It takes about minutes to perform the test. EKG machines can assist doctors in revealing a variety of health problems such as:

· rapid heart beat

· abnormally decreased heart beat

· irregular pumping of the heart

· abnormal heart muscle size

· heart birth defects

· the presence of heart disease located in the heart valves

· heart attack (past or present)

Doctors might recommend that a patient have an EKG test done either as a tool for diagnosing for screening the early warning signs of heart disease, or to determine the source of a patient’s symptoms. When no symptoms are present, doctors typically only order EKG tests for patients that have a family history of heart disease in their immediate family. Some common symptoms that would cause a physician to order the test are:

· breathing problems

· chest pain

· fatigue

· uneven heart beat

· abnormal heart sounds

Lastly, EKG tests can also be used by doctors to monitor the effectiveness of heart treatments, such as medical devices or medications. Special EKG machines can be utilized so that doctors are able to monitor the heart rate of a patient over longer periods of time. These EKG machines are portable and can be worn by the patient throughout the day.

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For heart patients that experience frequent abnormal heartbeats, portable EKG machines that are now available for home use can be a comforting alternative. When heart patients inconveniently have to visit a doctor’s office to have an EKG test, results are not always accurate based on the timing of the diagnostic test. There are several benefits to using a portable home EKG monitoring device that include being able to measure your heartbeat rate from your home, having access to heart reading activity during your routine daily activities, and most of all, substantially reducing your medical costs.

Monitoring Your EKG from the Comfort of Your Home

When given the option, most patients would prefer to be able to monitor their medical conditions from their home environment. Portable and wireless EKG machines have made this possible with the help of current and advanced technology. Today, heart patients can actually monitor their heart rates for an entire twenty-four hour period, and wireless technology enables patients to have results even while they are asleep. These home devices can then transmit the results, directly from the homes of the patients, through the internet to their medical doctor.

Measuring Heart Irregularities During Daily Routine Activities

Measuring heart activity during regular daily activities is an important factor that cannot be underestimated. This type of monitoring is much more accurate when compared to results taken in a medical office or hospital. A monitor that is able to record your heart rate when you are doing daily tasks like driving, or doing simple household tasks, provides your healthcare provider with a more realistic assessment of your irregular heart activity.

Reducing Medical Costs

Hospital costs are expensive today, even for patients that are covered by a health insurance plan. A home portable EKG machine costs very little compared to an overnight hospital stay. Portable EKG machines are easy to use and some insurance companies may even compensate their clients for a portion of the cost.

Fortunately, healthcare consumers have a variety of options today in terms of managing their home health care needs. With the increase of home medical products on the market, patients are now able to benefit from the many advantages that are now possible due to modern technology.

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The debate is still going on as to whether or not cell phones can cause harmful radiation and ultimately cause cancer. Based on research conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, currently, the primary cause of death in the U.S. is heart disease. Someone in the country suffers from heart attack related medical condition about every thirty-four seconds. However, recently some research has demonstrated that cell phones, smart phones in particular, uploaded with certain applications can assist in saving lives.

Advancement of current mobile phone technology is now enabling applications that can turn you smart phone into a transmitting device for your own personal EKG results. SHL Telemedicine, a company that is integrating a personal health care technology to mobile devices has created a new medical instrument that is referred to as a “smartheart”. This gadget allows individuals to monitor their heart activity in real-time using a compact, portable EKG machine that conveniently hooks directly into their smart phone.

Traditionally, medical EKG machines use multiple monitors that are attached to a patient’s chest while they are lying down. Smartheart only utilizes one monitor and can be done while the patient is in an upright position. In addition, smartheart’s technology allows a patient to record hospital quality EKG readings and within seconds they are able to transmit the results to their physician or cardiologist via their smart phone.

The cost of the smartheart EKG device is around five hundred dollars. The application download for the smart phone is free and it is currently available on cell devices such as BlackBerry, IPhone, and Android. It is connected wirelessly and can be configured within seconds of being downloaded. Once activated, it will produce a visual display of results and provide users with an option to email the results directly to their doctor.

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In an effort to cut response time for patients that are having a heart attack, ambulances are equipping themselves with advanced EKG technology so that they are able to recognize if a patient is having a severe heart attack. The most severe heart attack is known as an ST-elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI). This type of heart attack is when there is total blockage in a coronary artery. This program will enable EMR staff to immediately access a situation where time is of the utmost importance. A spokesperson from The American Heart Association (AMA) stated that implementing this type of program can prevent severe damage to the heart and ultimately save many lives.

The AMA has estimated that there are approximately 400,000 patients in the United States that are victims of STEMI each year. If emergency care is not performed within ninety minutes from the onset of STEMI, and the blockage in the heart is not eliminated, patients are likely to suffer from long term disability or death. The mission of this project is to equip as many ambulances as they can with twelve-lead electrocardiograms.

In rural areas, smaller hospitals are not equipped to do an emergency angioplasty. The time that it takes EMR professionals to transport a patient to a larger qualified hospital facility is crucial. With these newer EKGs, emergency medical workers are able to apply the leads to a patient and with a push of a button can immediately transmit EKG results to the receiving hospital. Emergency hospital staff can immediately begin to prepare for an angioplasty and are ready to begin medical treatment upon the patient’s arrival, with no additional EKG readings necessary. Previously, another EKG reading would be done when the patient reached the hospital.

The cost for each of these EKG machines will cost approximately twenty-five thousand dollars. Medical professionals believe that the cost is well worth the investment since research has proved that equipping ambulances with twelve-lead EKG machines can reduce anywhere from ten minutes to an hour of time that is needed for a patient to receive treatment and can ultimately save their lives.

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Imagine having an EKG machine built right into the driver’s seat of your car. Sound like a new movie about the future? Well it’s not. Recently, Ford Motor Corporation has been in the process of integrating health safety technology into their automobiles in an effort to implement healthcare technology into their vehicles to prevent reckless driving danger. Their latest venture is trying to prevent accidents caused by drivers who are at risk of a heart attack.

One prototype is an automobile that has a “smart- seat” with an EKG machine sensors built into the driver’s seat of the car. The seat has six built in sensors that are able to sense electrical activity of the heart. Ford’s EKG seat is more advanced than an EKG machine typically found in a doctor’s office since it is able to detect heart activity through clothing.

This system is able to detect EKG abnormalities, such as arrhythmias, and then alert the driver to pull off the road and call for help. With today’s advanced technology, if necessary, the car can even alert EMR personnel that they are needed at a specified location, before, during or after an accident has occurred. Ford claims that testing results have shown that their car seat has produced accurate results at least 95% of the time.

Fortunately, modern medicine has been extremely successful with prolonging estimated life span, and for this reason there are many older drivers who have health issues on the roads. It is estimated that drivers who have been diagnosed as having cardiovascular disease are 25% more likely to have an automobile collision than the average driver who is in good health. This number is even higher, almost doubled with drivers who are diagnosed with agina. Ford has not yet set a release date for sales of their automobiles with this option. They are continuing to perfect the technology and project that it will be ready for consumer purchase sometime in the near future.

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Most people think that EKG tests are only available in hospitals and or in medical offices. However, there is an ambulatory EKG monitor, commonly known as a Holter monitor (named after its inventor, Dr. Norman J. Holter), that is portable and mobile, and can be worn by a patient outside of a medical facility.
This cardiac monitor enables doctors to monitor a patient for an extended period of time. It can be worn for a time period of 24 hours up to a month. It can produce more accurate results than a traditional EKG because it monitors the heart’s reaction to everyday stress and activities. For this reason, doctors say that it provides a more thorough assessment of the way the heart functions.

An ambulatory EKG uses as few as three electrodes to record data. It is designed to diagnose heart conditions that would be difficult to observe with a traditional EKG machine. A patient with an occasional arrhythmia is more easily diagnosed and treated which can help a patient to avoid further complications.

A patient wearing a Holter monitor can record data by simply pressing a button. Doctors instruct their patients to use the device to begin recording whenever they believe that there is a change in their cardiac rate. Patients are normally required to keep a journal to record any pertinent information, such as the symptom experienced, what physical activity was taking place when the symptom occurred, the exact date and time a symptom occurred, and how long the symptoms lasted.

The information provided to a physician from a patient’s journal records and from the recording of the Holter monitor can diagnose or rule out carious cardiac conditions such as:

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

The Holter monitor poses no risks to the patient, and is relatively easy to use. It is important that patients stay in contact with their physicians and avoid getting the monitor wet.

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The leading cause of death in the United States is from a heart attack (myocardial infarction) which is the result of an interruption of blood flow through the heart due to a blockage in a coronary artery. Both males and females are at risk for heart disease and a large amount of the population will likely suffer from a form of the disease at some point in their lifetime.

The heart is the most important organ in the body, and heart problems can be more vital than practically any other health condition. Fatal heart attacks can often be prevented, even in people who are high-risk patients by maintaining healthy lifestyle choices and by having regular medical visits with a physician.

The American Heart Association (AHA) strongly recommends that individuals who have a genetic family history of heart disease take preventative measures by refraining from smoking, exercising regularly, following a nutritious diet to maintain a healthy weight, and by having regular EKG testing.

To ensure the health of one’s heart, annual exams should include:

· Checking blood pressure
· A complete blood test
· Stress test (with the patient hooked up to and EKG machine)

EKG machines are not only used as preventative diagnostic tools. They also can aid doctors and other medical professionals in post-heart attack treatment. On the occasion that a patient unknowingly has a heart attack, the ECG waves are able to detect signs of a previous attack, thereby providing valuable information that could assist doctors and patients in preventing a more severe attack at a later time. In addition, EKG machines are also used to evaluate the damage of a heart attack by recording the duration and strength of the electrical signals produced by the heart and how quickly the heart pumps blood through the body.

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The first EKG machine was developed by Augustus Waller in 1877. The machine’s primary purpose was to measure and interpret both the rhythm and heart-rate of the heart muscle and to graph the heart’s electrical activity.

Today, EKG machines are a valuable diagnostic tool that enables doctors to diagnose the factors that cause heart palpitations, chest pain, and shortness of breath. EKG machines allow doctors to detect a variety of abnormalities before a treatment plan is provided for a patient. When the heart is healthy, the electrical current that pumps through the heart contracts and pushers blood through the body. When these electric signals are abnormal, a patient’s heart is not able to function properly.

An EKG test is painless and typically free of any complications. However, it is extremely important that physicians are informed about any medications a patient is taking. Depending on the individual circumstances of the patient, some physicians may order an EKG stress test. An EKG stress test differs from a typical EKG test due to the fact that it requires the patient to exercise either on a treadmill or on a stationary bicycle while they are hooked up to the EKG machine. A stress test can be a valuable diagnostic tool for physicians since it can evaluate the heart when at times when it requires more oxygen.

Today, most EKG machines incorporate 12-15 electrodes that are strategically placed on areas of the legs, arms, and chest. The electrodes transmit the heart signals directly to the EKG machine and the heart activity is graphically recorded in a sequence of waveforms. The three waveforms are referred to as; P, QRS, and T. Each waveform provides specific diagnostic information:

· P Waves – Calculate the activity in the heart’s atria

· QRS Waves – Measure the ventricular activity of the heart

· T Waves – Represent ventricles that are renewed

Doctors typically scan for any abnormalities in the direction, duration, and amplitude of the waveforms that are recorded during the test before diagnosing a patient.

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EKG Tests cannot always detect artery problems while a patient is in a restful state. AN EKG test that is not combined with the element of exercise can often be inconclusive by showing minimal symptoms or normal results. Therefore, a stress test is that implements a treadmill is usually required to determine efficient medical testing results. Heart disease symptoms are more evident when the heart is exposed to stress through exercise.

Stress tests are commonly ordered for patients that show symptoms, or have a family history of coronary artery disease (CAD). They are also used to determine blood pressure rates in patients with borderline hypertension or to determine irregular heartbeats. Physicians also may also recommend a stress test if a patient complains of shortness of breath or unusual fatigue.

Unlike healthy arteries that dilate when exposed to exercise, an artery that is blocked or narrowed and does not dilate properly and can deliver too much or too little blood to the heart muscle. A reduced flow of blood can cause symptoms such as shortness of breath or chest discomfort.

A treadmill stress test is normally conducted in an exercise laboratory that has an EKG machine and a treadmill. The physician or technician attaches the EKG machine electrodes to the patient’s shoulders, hips, and chest. Initially, the patient’s blood pressure and heart rate are recorded by the EKG machine while they are at rest. The treadmill is initially set at a slow speed and the slope and inclination on the machine are typically increased every few minutes. The EKG is displayed on the monitor during the duration of the stress test and results are graphed and recorded on paper every minute.

During an EKG machine stress test, a medical professional closely monitors the patient’s EKG pattern, blood pressure, heart rate, and any changes in the patient’s appearance or condition. They may choose to stop the test prematurely if any serious conditions arise, such as chest pain, a drop or rise in blood pressure, dizziness, or shortness of breath.

Preliminary results are usually given to the patient immediately. The full test results are usually available in a few days. Physicians may use the test results to diagnose heart disease or to monitor or regulate an existing condition.

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