When a patient suffers from a stroke, the presence of atrial fibrillation (AF) is usually identifies as a major risk factor. Regular testing on an EKG machine can make all the difference in whether a patient is able to avoid such an outcome with EKG.

Originally thought to be an insignificant health problem, atrial fibrillation has the capacity to be a silent killer in many patients. Because a fluttering heart is also an irregular heart, the unsynchronized beating can result in a pooling or stagnation of the blood and the formation of blood clots, especially within the left atrium. When one of these blood clots breaks loose and travels throughout the body, it can block one of the blood vessels of the brain, cutting of the blood supply to a specific region and causing a stroke.

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It’s hard to believe that a simple piece of medical equipment like an EKG machine can detect and record abnormal heart rhythms enough to diagnose specific forms of heart disease.  What is so surprising about this is that the EKG machine has been around longer than most other types of medical equipment.

As our aging population increases, it is expected that atrial rhythm abnormalities will become a much larger problem in the United States.  Currently, there are approximately 2.2 million Americans affected by atrial fibrillation, a disease that occurs more about one and half times more frequently in men than in women.  Since this condition is responsible for more than 60,000 strokes every year, doctors rely heavily on the diagnoses given by EKG testing as their most important preventive measure.

Some reasons why abnormal heart rhythms occur include:

• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Cardiac disturbances, such as congestive heart failure
• Ischemic disease of the heart
• Congenital heart defects
• Heart valve damage
• Thyroid conditions
• Alcohol abuse
• Lung infections
• Drug abuse
• Excessive caffeine consumption

In order to prevent an increase in heart rhythm abnormalities, it is important that patients at high risk for heart disease undergo a full workup of cardiovascular testing at least once per year (preferably every six months).  By administering a battery of tests including an EKG/ECG test and heart stress test, a primary physician can detect early signs of atrial fibrillation or other diseases of the heart. If these signs are evident in a patient, the next step is a visit to the cardiologist for additional diagnostic tests and treatment.

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With heart disease on the rise in the United States, accounting for one in every five deaths, scientists have been working feverishly to develop technologies that will prevent cardiovascular disease and heart attacks.

Most forms of cardiovascular disease are treated with pharmaceuticals or surgery, and while medicinal techniques have improved dramatically in this area, there is still much that needs to be done.  EKG machines are an important part of regular heart monitoring and can be used to raise red flags about a patient’s heart problems before a life-threatening episode can occur.  However, testing on an EKG machine is usually administered only at a doctor’s office or hospital, with only at-home blood pressure monitoring in between.

A new, life-saving device may help patients with heart disease to be monitored all the time.  It is called the Angel Med Guardian, and it is about the same size as a standard pacemaker.  While currently in the development stage, this new device will be positioned under the skin near the collar bone, with a wire that contacts the patient’s right ventricle.  It works in conjunction with an external telemetry device that is programmed to monitor and communicate signs of an impending heart attack.  Using Bluetooth technology and a series of audible alarms, the device can ensure rapid medical assistance is on its way to the patient.

Now, instead of relying solely on periodic testing on EKG machines and other heart monitors, the Angel Med Guardian will be an accurate predictor of an impending heart attack in real time.  Still in its second phase of clinical trials, this revolutionary device t is expected to gain wide adoption early on among cardiologists and their high risk patients.

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In most clinical settings, EKG machines are used to detect heart abnormalities in adults, but for those who work with children, it is important to know the differences in what is considered “normal” for these tests. Just like the heart rate of a child is dissimilar to that of an adult, the parameters to be studied in an electrocardiogram are also different. Children also develop common arrhythmias that may not be seen in adults, so their treatment options will vary.

EKG machines still study the same waveforms (P, QRS and T) in a child’s heart, because the conduction pathways are the same, and the approach to analyzing these signals doesn’t change from child to adult. Even the mechanisms of arrhythmias occur similarly in adults and children. However, there are important differences in how these ECG results are understood and interpreted.

For example, children shift from right ventricular dominance as newborns into left ventricular dominance by the time they reach their first birthday. Another major difference in the ECG interpretation for children is the type of arrhythmias (abnormal rhythms) that are most commonly seen. The most common ones include bradycardia, sinus arrhythmia, and supraventricular tachycardia. Adults are more likely to see results such as atrial fibrillation or flutter, and ventricular tachycardia, which are rarely seen in a child’s EKG results.
Each of these conditions must be carefully studied, in relation to how it may affect children differently than adults. Pediatric EKG tests should only be evaluated by individuals who are aware of these differences may impact the ultimate diagnosis and treatment of the patient.

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In a recent news release from the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN), comes a strong recommendation for helping to prevent medication induced heart problems. The AACN has had concerns about the prevention of TdP (Torsade de Points), a rare problem with the heart’s rhythm that can cause a sudden drop in blood pressure. TdP can also cause patients to faint or lead to sudden cardiac arrest or ventricular fibrillation.

Their recommendation is that patients who are being treated with certain medications undergo testing on an EKG machine regularly. These medications include intravenous antibiotics, anti-arrhythmia drugs and some antipsychotics. The reason for frequent EKG testing is some of these drugs can prolong the Q-T interval of the heart. When patients undergo regular monitoring, caregivers can become aware of this abnormality immediately and act upon it.

Studies have shown that when a patient is monitored continuously on an EKG machines, TdP can be detected more readily, as well as other cardiac irregularities that may lead to arrhythmia. When these TdP symptoms are recognized, it is possible to stop administering that the culprit drugs before any serious conditions arise.
In addition to including a list of drugs that may cause TdP (alone or in combination with other drugs), the AACN statement makes the following recommendation AACN says that any at-risk TdP patient should receive ongoing ECG testing to guide physicians in managing the outcome of a drug-induced extended Q-T interval, and provide immediate treatment at its onset. This way, if the warning signs are recognized on the EKG machine’s monitor, cardiac arrest can be avoided.

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Ever since the discovery that living tissue has certain electronic properties, researchers began searching for a way to measure these signals. But it was the early research into the “electromotive effect” in 1787 by Aloysio Luigi that ultimately brought forth the development of the electrocardiogram, or EKG machine. In his experiments, he was able to prove that living tissues, muscles in particular, can generate electricity. When other scientists started investigating this effect, it wasn’t long before the discovered the electronic potential of a beating heart. Eventually, after Willem Einthoven introduced the string galvanometer, it was finally possible for these impulses to be measured.

When the signal created by the heart was applied to a string galvanometer, it caused the string to move, and the resulting deflections were recorded as a graph on paper. This early version of the EKG machine was first used in 1903 and it wasn’t long before large-scale manufacturing began throughout the world. One of the first companies to make these machines was Edelmann and Sons (Munich, Germany). The electrocardiogram was later made in the US by the Hindle Instrument Company.
Since the early 20th century, many improvements have been made to the design of the EKG machine, including the decreased size of the electromagnet. These advances have made it possible for EKGs to be done in mobile emergency units. Another major improvement was the ability for doctors to attach the machine’s electrodes directly to the skin, rather than submerging them in jars containing sodium chloride solution. Amplifiers have also been added, which have improved the quality of the electronic signal. With the introduction of computer interfaces and microelectronics, today’s EKG machines look quite a bit different from the early models, but they are no more accurate than Einthoven’s original model.

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Little more than a century ago, measuring the heart’s electrical signals to diagnose health issues was a distant concept. But ever since the electrocardiogram (EKG machine) was invented, doctors have been able to measure these signals by comparing their relative voltage to those of a healthy heart. This type of measurement is only possible because the body is able to conduct electricity and EKG machines are designed to pick up these signals.

By attaching electrodes to the surface of the body in specific areas, EKG machines can pick up the electrical signals that represent various phases of the heart’s rhythm. The first pulse that is measured is called the P wave, which picks up the electrical signal generated by the sinotrial node, or pacemaker, of the heart. The second and largest signal is the QRS complex, which represents the relaxing of the atria, followed by the contraction of the ventricles. Finally, the T wave measures the repolarization of the ventricles. Each of these signals can be studied independently or in concert with the others to detect a variety of cardiac issues.

The data generated by EKG machines can help doctors detect several problems related the heart’s function. These include the heart rate, the presence of hypertension, the heart’s chemical balance, damage to certain areas of the heart, and arrhythmias. Additionally, by looking at a depression between the S and T waves, EKGs can observe and diagnose an arterial obstruction. EKG machines known as Holter monitors are designed to make these detections.
An electrocardiogram test is often performed for the first time at a physician’s office as part of a routine physical work-up, but it is more commonly seen in the field of cardiology. While other forms of cardiac testing have been introduced in the past several decades, the EKG machine is still heavily relied upon throughout the medical community.

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When most people think of EKG machines, they picture adults and elderly patients hooked up to a machine with twelve leads and a graphing screen. It is not often that a child undergoes cardiac testing on such a machine, but the idea of doing EKG testing in schools is starting to sound like a smart idea

While most parents will allow their children to be tested in school, many of them don’t know that the medical community remains divided over the use of EKG screenings on kids. The reasons for their concerns include the expense; the potential for false-positive and false negative readings, and the logistics of conducting the tests.

The American Heart Association does not oppose voluntary EKG screening; however it does not recommend that the tests become mandatory. This may be due to the relative inaccuracy of the results. For example, one cardiologist involved in the study of EKG machines results on children was very much involved in offering testing to school students. After seeing many children with life-threatening heart conditions appear perfectly normal during an EKG, it is easy for one to become skeptical.

Doctors often worry that they may have been missing something in the test, especially when they know that EKG machines will not detect anomalies in the coronary arteries (which happens to be the second-leading cause of death among teenage athletes). However, an EKG machine will be very helpful in detecting the number one cause of death among young athletes, a condition known as cardiomyopathy.

As with any childhood illness, heart disease can begin at any time, so if an EKG screening is done on a child, it doesn’t mean they are cleared from that disease for life.

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One of the most innovative new technologies of the 20th century was the electrocardiogram (EKG machine). Designed for the diagnosis of heart disease, the EKG machine was considered a major advancement in modern medicine. Early EKG machines were much bulkier than today’s lightweight and portable machines, but they work on the same principle – the measurement of the electrical impulses of the heart.

In its early days, the patients were required to place their hands and feet in a sodium chloride bath, since water is a conductive method to detect the electric impulses of the heart. A more accurate method was introduced later with the use of electrical wires, which were later replaced by the electrodes we use today. These modern methods of EKG testing make it much easier to perform, while being safer, more comfortable and accurate.

How is EKG testing done?

A typical EKG test requires a patient to lay on their doctor’s examination table, but some doctors use EKG machines to perform stress tests as well. Here, electrodes are attached to a patient and then they are asked to perform moderate exercise, such as walking on a treadmill or riding a stationary bike. The results of a stress test will give the doctor a better understanding of how a patient’s heart patterns change during physical activity.

How are EKG tests used to diagnose heart problems?

An EKG machine works by picking up electrical impulses emitted from various points of the body, wherever an electrode is placed. Typically, doctors use a 10-12 electrode test that measures the heart’s impulses as they are graphically output into readable waves. These continuous waves are then amplified and displayed on a monitor or printed out for later interpretation by a physician.

EKG machines can detect an irregular heartbeat, arrhythmia or angina and diagnose the symptoms of heart disease. It can also detect whether the heart’s chamber walls are too thick, determine whether prescribed heart medicines are effective, and check on any implanted heart devices, such as pacemakers.

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When the time comes to purchase a new EKG machine for your office or medical center, it may help to consult with those who use it the most. Only they will know which features and functions are missing from your current machine, and help you make the right purchasing decision.

Here are some key features to consider for your next EKG machine:

What size paper does the machine use?

Some EKG machines use 60 mm strips and others use EKG paper in half-sized sheets.
Using even smaller paper, such as the 3x4x1 format, may save money in the long run.
It is possible to buy a machine that uses 8.5 x 11” paper. While the paper costs may be higher, it is easier to handle and file these printouts.

Does the machine come equipped with a keyboard for typing in patient information?
When patient demographics appear on their printout, it gives a more professional-looking EKG reading.
However, in some cases it takes too much time for a nurse to personalize the reading for each patient, so this may be a question for your nursing staff.

Does the EKG machine have a screen?
Most medical professionals prefer to have a screen, since it verifies that all leads are working properly prior to testing. It also ensures that the baseline is stable before testing begins.
Making sure that all twelve leads are visible at once, in real time, eliminates the need to switch screens in order to view them.

Does the machine connect to a computer?
If so, make sure the output is based on a system architecture that is compatible with your EMR and EKG management system.
Be careful – Sometimes EKG machines are made to integrate only with the management software made by that manufacturer.

A PC-based EKG machine will allow you to integrate other diagnostic features, to provide a full picture of a patient’s overall health. These user-friendly machines will also allow you to create a searchable database of all EKGs performed, connect to a patient’s electronic medical record, and email results right from your PC.

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