Read about the latest news on ECG / EKG Machines

EKG machines have been a vital tool in the medical profession, since their discovery in 1903 by Willem Einthoven. Using the science of electrocardiography (ECG or EKG), these machines are used in healthcare environments to interpret the electrical activity of the heart. By placing external electrodes on the skin, EKG machines use a noninvasive recording technique to graph the rhythms of the heart.
Originating in the sinoatrial node, electrical impulses of the heart travel through an internal conducting system into the heart muscle. These impulses then trigger the myocardial muscle fibers to contract. Electrodes, when placed on different sides of the heart, can measure the activity within different parts of the heart, and then the machine can display the voltage in between each pair of electrodes. Doctors can then read this display to see the overall rhythm of the heart, and diagnose weaknesses in different areas, particularly any abnormalities that may have been caused by damage to conductive tissues. Some abnormal rhythms can be caused by higher levels of dissolved salts, or electrolytes. Or, after a myocardial infarction (heart attack), an EKG machine can identify damaged areas of the heart muscle.
While the EKG can diagnose some important areas of damage, it cannot be used to reliably measure the heart’s pumping ability. For this type of testing, an ultrasound device, known as echocardiography) or nuclear medicine tests are more appropriate.
EKG machines have come a long way since their discovery and can now load images faster, using a higher resolution. They are far more computerized, compact and effective in diagnosing abnormalities of the heart. Today’s machines are often used for diagnosing heart disease and can even point out a heart attack while it is happening.