Read about the latest news on ECG / EKG Machines

As if the Apple iPad wasn’t already getting enough free publicity and hype; it is now being purchased in large quantities by hospitals too. In keeping with their reputation as early-adopters, California was the first state to embrace the new iPad as a device to help healthcare workers view EKG results, X-ray images and other electronic patient information.

The innovation behind the iPad makes it simple for doctors to use on patient rotations because it serves as a virtual desktop. Using application delivery software, physicians can have all patient information at their fingertips. Instead of writing notes on a chart, this innovation makes them more productive while keeping patient information accurate and up-to-date.

Patients will be amazed by the level of technology the iPad affords their doctors and specialists. Imagine being hooked up to an EKG machine and seeing the doctor view your results on his or her iPad in real-time.

Using an interface such as Citrix, these machines can capture the same data and records that are held within the hospital’s database of medical records. As a result, a doctor who is viewing your current EKG results will be able to compare them with other previous tests, such as echocardiograms and stress tests without leaving your side. And because your entire chart is also held within that same computer, the doctor can review other conditions you may have, or check for potential drug interactions.

If these new iPads prove to be successful for California hospitals, they will also distribute them to home health care workers, nurses, pharmacists and dieticians so they can all enter vital patient information in real-time.
Who knows how long it will be before the rest of the medical community catches on to the iPad craze, but the next time you are hooked up to an EKG machine you might want to ask your doctor about it.

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In 1929, a man by the name of Arthur Master conducted the first cardiac stress test at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. Today, EKG machines are being used in hospitals and clinical environments throughout the world to measure stress and diagnose heart disease and how severe it may be. EKG machine tests are able to detect heart problems that may not be apparent while the heart is not under pressure to perform.

Patients are asked to wear comfortable, loose fitting clothing along with running or exercise shoes. Commonly, patients are required to participate in a warm up exercise routine prior to testing to help prevent cramping. Using EKG machines a Cardiologist and a technician conduct the test which monitors blood pressure while electrodes are attached to various areas on the patient’s chest. The EKG machine monitors heart rhythms to determine if it is steady or irregular.

While hooked up to the EKG machine, the patient either rides a stationary bike or walks on a treadmill. The test is able to monitor blood pressure, oxygen flow, and the heart rate of the patient. During the test, the physical exercise is progressively made more difficult which requires the heart to work harder. Patients commonly report dizziness, fatigue, and chest pain.

EKG machines stress tests are safe tests and pose little or no risk to the patients. They are less expensive than performing exploratory surgery. Another benefit to the patient that there is no recovery time as there would be from surgery.

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Physicians and medical professionals use electrocardiogram machines, or EKG machines, as a diagnostic tool to record heart activity and diagnose a variety of heart conditions. EKG machines are used today in medical offices and hospitals around the world. New technology and advancements in the medical industry have led to more efficient machines that are both portable and lightweight. EKG machines are a good investment and can be purchased either new or used. Refurbished models are carefully and professionally tested to ensure both quality and reliability at a reasonable cost to physicians and hospitals. These machines are a vital piece of medical equipment that, when used timely and efficiently, can diagnose potential heart problems and consequently save lives.

EKG machine testing is basically a routine procedure that is painless and provides a non-invasive approach that measure’s the heart’s electrical activity. Metal sensors are positioned on the patient’s ankles, wrists, and various places on the chest. EKG machines are tools that detect steady or irregular heartbeat, heart disease and can identify heart problems even before a patient experiences his/her first chest pains. Conveniently, EKG machine diagnostic testing can be done as either inpatient or outpatient treatment. EKG machines are able to provide trained medical personnel and patients with immediate results that are generally read by a cardiologist or a physician.

Patients must be aware that family history is a significant factor that helps doctors to determine an individual’s personal risk factor. Therefore, it is important that all available family history information is disclosed to the physician.

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Absent the use of EKG machines, the diagnosis of congenital heart disease in a fetus was once nearly impossible. But thanks to several antenatal diagnostic tools, it is now quite simple to detect congenital heart disease before a baby is born. Fetal echocardiography is often used to create a picture of a developing baby’s heart chambers between the 18th and 20th week of pregnancy.

Once a baby is born, postnatal diagnostics are often done by sight. Doctors can see signs of heart defects when there is a bluish coloring to the skin, which is a telltale sign of cyanotic heart disease, but acyanotic heart disease can often take years to detect. If a child has trouble feeding, is growing at a slower pace than expected, has swelling of the feet, hands or ankles, or becomes short of breath after exertion, doctors will order very specific tests to be performed, which may include the use of EKG machines or echocardiograms.

* An echocardiogram is actually an ultrasound that allows doctors to see the muscles and valves of the child’s heart.
* An electrocardiogram or EKG machine records the activity of the child’s heart through the placement of probes that are placed on the skin of their chest.
* If the aim is to measure the size of a child’s heart or the volume of blood in the lungs, a chest x-ray may also be ordered.
* Another test uses a pulse oximeter to measure the oxygen saturation in arterial blood through a special fingertip sensor.

In some cases, a cardiac catheterization is ordered to determine how well blood is pumping through the heart. In this procedure a thin flexible tube, or catheter, is passed through the heart. Starting in the arm or groin, doctors can guide the catheter through the body using MRI-guided scanners or x-rays. This technique is used to collect blood samples and measure oxygen saturation within various parts of the heart. Fluoroscopy can also be used to examine the arteries of the heart.