Read about the latest news on ECG / EKG Machines

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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