Read about the latest news on ECG / EKG Machines

Some medical offices try to hold onto their medical equipment for a long time, figuring that as long as it works there is no need to replace it. However, manufacturers recommend upgrading frequently used machines – such as EKG machines – more often than any other piece of equipment. What is a small private practice to do when the cost of buying a new machine is too high to justify? It helps to look at outdated medical equipment as a safety hazard that cannot continue without serious health implications.

Is it time to upgrade your ECG, EKG or cardiac ultrasound machine? Ask yourself if your cardiac equipment is working properly. Is it reliable and accurate? Are there long periods of time when it’s not working? Before deciding on an upgrade, remember that the cost of making the change will be far less than the downtime created by a slow or outdated EKG machine.

When a medical office or hospital upgrades to new ECG/EKG equipment it is not uncommon for the professional team to complain about it. After all, they’ve been using the same machine for several years and they know exactly how it works. Newer machines are often much more sophisticated and they can take a long time to master, but over time the team will wonder what they did without the new features.

Whether your office plans to purchase new or used EKG equipment, it is much easier than ever to get the available training manuals online. Many manufacturers will make video training guides available on their websites, even for older models. Better yet, look for a model with on-screen tutorials that will walk you through the features of the machine. If you plan to buy an EKG machine, try to avoid high pressure sales tactics with local sales reps and in-person demos. Today it is easier than ever to get the information you need by searching on the Internet. Look for reviews of the EKG machines you are considering and you may be surprised to find a wealth of data on the web.

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Today, people are more health conscious and are coming forward as their own health advocates in regard to the medical treatment they are seeking and receiving. With the information surge of the internet, people are opting to research their own personal health concerns and are equipped with an influx of knowledge about various medical conditions. Patients today are challenging their doctors by asking more questions and by being active participants in their health maintenance. Lately, innovative medical technology has helped to increase the role of the patient provided care by creating alternatives to expensive hospital medical equipment.

Technology has benefited patients by providing them with inexpensive medical devices that patients can operate and use themselves outside of the medical office.
There is no doubt that technology has improved throughout all aspects of the health care industry. Advancing technology has enabled patients and doctors to interact differently and more constructively. Newer diagnostic tools and procedures have allowed the field of medicine to progress at rapid rates. Additionally, the design and construction of medical equipment has changed dramatically. Medical devices, such as EKG machines, are typically smaller and more user-friendly, which offers patients convenience, without sacrificing effectiveness. A major advantage of these new devices is that they make it possible to save time and often lives in a medical emergency situation.

Portable EKG machines are easy to transport, and this particular feature has helped in medical situations when time is of the essence. Years ago, EKG machines were large, expensive, and only used in hospitals by trained medical staff workers. New EKG machines that are compact and portable are used by EMR staffs in ambulances, while transporting critical care heart patients. A critical heart patient can be monitored by a portable EKG machine in an ambulance and the EKG results can be sent ahead of the patient to the hospital, for doctor evaluation before the ambulance arrives. Doctors waiting at the hospital are better prepared to treat the patient immediately upon arrival. Portable EKG machines are also valuable screening tools for home-based patients with heart conditions. They are capable of recording heart activity for longer periods of time, during normal activities, and are easy for the patient or home-care provider to operate.

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An electrocardiogram or EKG test is used in veterinarian medicine to screen and identify heart abnormalities. Most EKG tests take ten minutes to perform and record about two minutes of heart activity. EKG results provide doctors with important information regarding a patient’s heart activity. EKG machine tests are excellent diagnostic tools that are effective in diagnosing heart disease. However, additional diagnostic tests may be necessary to check possible problems that involve heart muscles, heart valve disease, and heart enlargement. Sporadic heart disturbances are also difficult to detect in an annual routine veterinary examination. When this is the case, a Holter portable monitor is a more practical choice to make an accurate diagnosis.

There are several different types of EKG machines. A standard in-office EKG machine provides a quick in-office assessment by displaying the electrocardiogram on a viewing screen. These types of EKG machines are also frequently used to monitor critical care patients who are under anesthesia, and can be very effective in determining any effects that the drugs may have on the heart.

Another type of EKG machine, known as the Holter model, is a heart monitoring device that is most commonly used outside of the medical office because of its portability. It can be worn at home by the pet and activated when necessary, by the owner pushing a button. Veterinarians may choose to use a Holter EKG monitor on a pet that suffers from fainting spells or unexpected collapses. A Holter device is capable of recording heart activity at home for longer periods of time. With a Holter device, owners are able to take their pet home and have their heart activity monitored and recorded for days. With this particular type of device, the recorded EKG results can played back at a later time for a diagnostic reading in the presence of the doctor.

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Heart abnormalities are detected by a diagnostic device known as an EKG machine. EKG machines vary in size and features. Some EKG machines are used only in medical facilities and are used to test the patient’s heart during a medical examination. However, since arrhythmias can be irregular, it can be difficult to determine accuracy during a doctor’s visit, because the patient is only being monitored for a short duration of time, which typically registers about fifty heartbeats. Other EKG monitors, known as Holter monitors are portable and used to monitor a patient’s heart activity in their natural environments, for longer periods of time, outside of the hospital setting, during the patient’s daily activities.

Holter monitors are usually strapped to a patient’s wrist and are capable of recording the heart continuously for twenty-four to seventy-two hour periods. Physicians are well-aware that many heart problems are more likely to occur during normal routine activities, such as walking, eating, sleeping, etc. Therefore, they often recommend a portable EKG machine that can provide continuous monitoring, since it is more likely to represent a more realistic portrait of heart abnormalities. Portable EKG machines can record approximately one-hundred thousand heartbeats in a twenty-fourhour period. Doctors have patients keep a journal of their activities, symptoms, and corresponding heart patterns.

A doctor may choose to perform an EKG test on a patient for several reasons:

· To evaluate a patient’s symptoms. Common symptoms of heart disease include dizziness, chest pain, and fainting

· To detect intermittent or stress-related arrhythmias of the heart

· To detect reduced blood flow being supplied to the heart muscle which can be an indicator of coronary artery disease (CAD)

· To determine how effective an irregular heart treatment is for a patient. Heart treatments may include, pacemakers, medications, or automatic defibrillators

The results of EKG tests should always be evaluated with a patient’s medical history and any other pertinent test results. If initial test results are not clear, the procedure should be repeated.

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The most common screening method used by Cardiologists to test their patients for any heart abnormalities, including the presence of heart disease is an electrocardiogram, otherwise known as an ECG or EKG machine test. The original EKG machine was first introduced at the turn of the century and was quite bulky in size. Today, the EKG machines that are regularly used in most medical offices are much more modern, advanced, portable and lightweight in size. EKG machine testing is usually recommended after the physician has gathered the patient’s complete medical and family history and performed a thorough physical examination.

An EKG test is one of the most common methods used by doctors to provide information regarding patient heart rhythms, which can lead to an accurate diagnosis of heart problems.
EKG testing can be performed in different manners, depending on the patient’s specific medical circumstances or the preference of the medical practitioner. For example, the most traditional EKG test requires the patient to lie on an examination table with ten or twelve electrodes that are attached to various body parts. The electrodes on the patient are linked into the EKG machine, which enables the machine to display, graph, and record the readable waves of the electric impulses of the heart for the physician to read and make a diagnosis.

The test typically takes about five minutes. More recently, doctors are opting to perform the test while the patient is undergoing some form of moderate exercise, such as walking on a treadmill or riding a stationary bike. The benefit of exercise testing is that it can offer patients and doctors more accurate diagnostic results of the heart pattern during realistic patterns of physical activity.

As a diagnostic medical tool, EKG machine tests do have their limitations. There are instances when an EKG test does not reflect an existing abnormality. This frequently occurs when testing patients who have reported having intermittent chest pain. These patients can be misdiagnosed, largely due to the fact that they were not experiencing any pain symptoms during the time of the test. Therefore, it is important to note that a normal EKG result can sometimes require additional tests and evaluations.

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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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