EKG Machines – More Than Just A Simple Check On The Heart Beat

Electrocardiograph machines are called as ECG machines or EKG machines. They get the name EKG machine because it is an abbreviated form of the German word “elektro-kardiographie”. The EKG machine is used to determine the normal and abnormal heartbeats by recording the electrical impulses of the muscles of the heart.

Initially these EKG machines were huge and bulky, however, these days they are smaller and easy to handle. While using this medical equipment to test the heartbeats of a patient, electrodes are connected to the body of the patient who is made to lie flat on a bed. These electrodes help in transmitting the electrical impulses to the electrocardiogram machine to which they are connected. These electrical impulses are then amplified and displayed on the monitor of the machine for the doctor to monitor. This test can be performed within a span of just five minutes.

By performing an EKG using the EKG machine can prove to be very informative to the doctor who is analyzing a patient with heart problems.

1. The doctor can know if the patient has had a heart attack before.
2. The doctor can see if the patient has fallen prey to the coronary heart disease.
3. This machine also gives information on the thickness of the muscles of the heart which can be very useful to the doctor while treating the patient.
4. The doctor can also find out about the heart rate and rhythm.

Though the EKG machines are extremely beneficial, they also have some drawbacks. Some of the results obtained through EKG need to be confirmed by performing various other tests and diagnoses. The EKG machine helps us determine the heart rate and rhythm of the person only when the EKG test is being done. Sometimes, certain types of heart diseases in their initial stages cannot be detected using the EKG machine.