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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.

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As a physician or healthcare provider who purchases medical equipment, it is important to make an educated buying decision when choosing an EKG machine. These machines all work with the same basic technology, but some are more reliable than others. A critical machine like an EKG can be used in various ways to diagnose heart disease or heart abnormalities in patients, so it is important to choose the right machine to meet the needs of your organization.

When physicians suspect heart disease, the first piece of equipment they turn to is an electrocardiograph, also known as an ECG or EKG machine. By detecting and recording the heart’s electronic impulses, EKG technicians can diagnose heart problems, but it is best when this test is administered along with a comprehensive physical exam.

The test is usually performed while a patient is lying on an examination table, however sometimes a physician may use an EKG machine in a stress EKG test. A Stress Test requires the patient to walk on a treadmill while the activity in their heart is recorded.

EKG machines work by connecting up to 12 leads, or electrodes to a patient’s chest, arms and legs. By testing the heart’s activity from various angles, doctors can look at several different readings simultaneously.

The readings from an EKG machine appear on a monitor in the form of waves, and these tracings are also printed out on a roll of paper. Once complete, a technician will often mark certain areas on the report for the doctor to review later.

EKG machines are a critical component in the discovery of heart disease and other heart abnormalities, and should be purchased with the utmost attention to detail. For the best prices on the latest machines, start your search with a used medical equipment dealer.

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A healthy diet, lots of exercise and regular testing on an EKG machine are three of the best recommendations a cardiologist can give, especially to patients with a family history of heart disease. However, maintaining good heart health doesn’t stop there.

The heart is the body’s most important organ, and it is heart problems are far more worrisome than almost any other health issue. Surprisingly, many people around the world pay very little attention to the heart. As a result, pharmaceutical companies who make drugs for hypertension are thriving, and doctors are starting to administer EKG testing on patients at younger ages than ever before. Even with early intervention, drug therapy and surgery, heart disease is still among the number one killers of people who live in the United States, Canada, England and Australia. As aging population grows, it is more important than ever to adopt a preventative strategy.

Maintaining a Healthy Heart

When it comes to keeping the heart healthy, many people are fighting against the odds. Family history, obesity, smoking, lack of exercise and a poor diet can do a lot to damage the heart. Absent a complete change in habits and regular EKG screenings, a surprisingly large percentage of people will develop some form of heart disease. Both men and women are at risk.

As for vices, there are a few that can actually lower the risk of heart disease. One of these is the consumption of red wine, which is rich in antioxidants and has been shown to lower HDL cholesterol levels in many patients. Another is sexual activity, which releases positive hormones that have a calming effect on the body and mind.

Eating fresh fruits and vegetables, cutting back on salt and fat, and walking for a few hours every week are a few important ways to make a difference in heart health, but nothing can replace regular visits to the doctor. Annual checkups should always include a complete blood test, blood pressure monitoring and a stress test that measures the heart’s rhythms while hooked up to an EKG machine.

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