Many healthcare professionals use EKG machines every day, but they know very little about how these diagnostic machines work. Learning more about the mechanics of EKG machines helps medical centers and clinicians make more educated decisions about the purchase and maintenance of these machines.

An electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) machine graphically records the electrical impulses of the heart muscles, and it is used to identify abnormal heart rhythms. Initially introduced in the early 1900’s, it has become an invaluable device in medical diagnostics.

Basically, EKG machines function by reading the electrical signals produced by the heart’s four chambers, which are made up of two pumps. The left pump takes blood from the lungs and distributes it to the rest of the body, while the right pump receives the blood returning from the body and sends it back to the lungs. When the atrium accepts incoming blood, it contracts, transferring the blood to the ventricles, which then pump blood away from the heart.

This whole pumping process depends on the heart’s sinotrial node, or pacemaker region, which is located in the right atrium. Here, an electrical impulse diffuses various ions across the cell’s membranes. It is this impulse that causes the atria to contract and push blood to the right and left ventricles. All of this occurs within milliseconds, so it is crucial that the heart’s impulses are functioning properly. By measuring the intensity and rhythm of these electrical impulses, an EKG machine can quickly recognize irregularities that may cause the heart to malfunction, or misfire.
Because it is able to recognize potential problems with the electrical impulses of the heart, regular EKG testing is an essential part a cardiac health assessment.

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Many patients make the mistake of thinking an echocardiogram and EKG tests are one and the same, but that is not the case. While their formal names may sound the same – electrocardiogram machines and echocardiogram machines each perform a unique test on the patient’s heart.

An EKG machine uses small electrodes that attach to a patient’s arms, legs and chest to record the electrical activity in the heart. It can detect heart rhythms that are either too fast or too slow, as well as arrhythmia and conditions like cardiomyopathy.

An echocardiogram machine takes an ultrasound of the heart by measuring the reverberated sound waves as they bounce off of the structure of the heart muscle. Many doctors find the results of an echo more valuable because it gives them a real-time view of the heart.

Instead of producing an image of the heart, an EKG machine graphs the electrical impulses of the heart to diagnose the presence of cardiovascular disease. Because electrical disturbances within the heart will not be anatomically detectable in an echocardiogram, EKG testing provides doctors with valuable information about the rhythms of the heart.

On the other hand, echocardiography shows the physical characteristics of the heart on a video screen, based on the recorded ultrasound waves that reflect back to the probe. It allows doctors to visualize certain cardiac pathologies that may have only been implied by the EKG machine. By directly visualizing each of the heart’s chambers, an echocardiogram can detect enlargement of the heart, abnormal septal motion and various other structural disorders.

EKG machines and echocardiograms are distinct and complementary diagnostic tests, and are not competitive with one another. When a patient exhibits signs of heart disease, most doctors will order both tests.

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Most adults over the age of 45 will undergo a series of heart screenings as part of an annual checkup. Testing may require the use of an EKG machine, but it may or may not include the use of an exercise stress test. In many cases, patients are not asked to take a stress test unless they have had symptoms of heart disease.

A stress test is one where a doctor learns how well the heart responds to exercise, and it is an essential part of a comprehensive cardiac exam. Patients are asked to walk on a treadmill while hooked up to an EKG machine. As the body starts working harder throughout the test, it also requires more oxygen. This means the heart will need to pump more blood. An exercise stress test will show if the blood supply in the arteries that lead to the heart is sufficient. It can also help determine how much exercise is appropriate for the patient.

Here is how a stress test works:

* The patient is first hooked up the electrical leads of an EKG machine
* Then, they are asked to walk in place slowly while on a treadmill
* The speed of the treadmill increases and the crossramp is tilted to simulate the effect of walking uphill
* Some patients may be asked to breath into a tube periodically during the test
* Immediately afterward, the patient is asked to lie down for a blood pressure check
* The doctor assesses the patient’s heart rate, breathing, EKG results and blood pressure, as well as the level of fatigue the patient feels during the test.

Using a stress test, doctors can determine the presence of coronary artery disease and predict the patient’s risk for a heart attack, among other things. If the results of the test are worrisome, the doctor may order additional tests, such as a nuclear stress test.

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Just when you thought there couldn’t be many more technological advances in medical equipment, Japan’s National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) has developed an electrocardiograph that displays measurable data on a mobile phone. That’s right, an EKG machine that can be worn like an accessory.

This electrocardiograph machine uses a wireless, short-distance communication system and can perform EKG machine testing around the clock while transmitting data wireless, but the best part is, it can be worn like a necklace. The NICT expects this new electrocardiograph to become a staple of personal health management as it will help patients monitor their heart rhythms during everyday life.

Not only can this new device perform an electrocardiogram, it can also measure temperature changes on the surface of the body and overall body posture. Lightweight and portable, it also requires no conductive gel, so it can be worn around the neck all day without making the patient feel uncomfortable. Additionally, this portable EKG machine has a low-power security function, which encrypts the data dynamically for each user and helps reduce power consumption by using only the amount of power needed to remain operable.

Researchers at NICT expect this new device to be sold to medical practitioners who work with chronically ill heart patients and people who require extensive testing to diagnose a heart abnormality. As the demand increases for this portable EKG monitor, global medical equipment manufacturers are expected to offer devices like this at more competitive prices. Look for more information to be released by NICT as the product completes its final round of clinical trials.

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Did you know that more than 70 million adults in the US have high blood pressure? So prevalent is this health problem in the US that it has many doctors scrambling to find an effective solution.

Blood pressure is a measurement of the force with which blood is pushing its way through blood vessels and arteries. Any time that blood pressure is up; it means that the heart has to work much harder, which could lead to a number of serious illnesses, including heart attack, congestive heart failure, stroke or aneurysm.

Doctors will normally check blood pressure at a routine check-up and order an EKG machine test for older patients or those at high risk for hypertension. The reason why high blood pressure is so concerning is because it is usually an indicator of present or future heart disease, which is the number one killer in America. It can also cause cardiovascular damage and complicate other health problems.

According to most physicians the “normal” blood pressure level is 120/80 or lower. Even a measurement that is slightly higher than this can indicate a condition called pre-hypertension, but high blood pressure is usually diagnosed when blood pressure exceeds 140/90.

Some symptoms of hypertension include headaches, dizziness, fatigue, vision problems, chest pains, irregular heartbeat and nausea. While there are a number of highly effective prescription drugs on the market to help control high blood pressure, lifestyle changes are sometimes the best medicine.

So how is high blood pressure controlled? Proper exercise, a healthy diet, weight loss, and reduced salt and alcohol intake can help a lot, but it is also important to get regular screenings. Most doctors will recommend an electrocardiogram, using a 12-lead EKG machine, as well as a stress test and dietary changes. Controlling high blood pressure can be a quite challenge but “take heart”, it can be done!

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EKG machines are used to measure the electrical signals of the heart, but these electrical measurements can often be misleading. This is especially true when EKG machines are used to diagnose left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). In most cases, doctors need to order more tests before coming to a final diagnosis of this disorder.

According to a recent study by the Henry Ford Medical Center, up to 82 percent of patients who were screened with an EKG machine test received a false positive reading and about 7 percent were given a false negative result. This study was conducted with a control group of 500 patients.

When study researchers analyzed the EKG data against other test results, they found that CT scans were a better predictor of the disease. This is because a CT scan takes a series of images of the heart, while EKG /ECG machines only measure the electrical activity. Once a diagnosis of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is evident, patients are usually given additional testing, such as an echo-cardiogram and an MRI scan.

LVH causes a thickening of the heart’s lower left chamber, and is usually caused by another medical condition, like hypertension, but unfortunately the disorder is often misdiagnosed or undetectable until it has significantly progressed.

Further research must be done to determine the best method of testing for LVH, because it can be serious. People with LVH are often more susceptible to other cardiovascular diseases, including heart failure, myocardial infractions, stroke and abnormal heart rhythms.

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Have you ever wondered why a stroke can be a relatively minor event in some people, and a death sentence for others? A recent study shows by the University of Rochester School of Medicine shows that patients with abnormal electrical impulses in the heart are at a much more likely to die within 90 days when they suffer an ischemic stroke.

According to recent research, when a patient’s QTc intervals are greater than 438 milliseconds (in men) and 440 milliseconds (in women) their prognosis after suffering a stroke is not good. QTc intervals are a measurement of the heart’s electrical activity, and are detected with EKG machines.

One important finding in this study was that Emergency Room staff members often forget to review a patient’s current prescription medications to determine they could play a role in lengthening their QTc intervals. When a QTc interval is too long, electrical signals take longer to pass through the heart’s ventricles. A simple EKG machine can diagnose this type of disorder in patients.

Not all electrical abnormalities of the heart are caused by prescription drugs, however. In many cases, it is caused by a genetic disorder or congenital heart disease. EKG machines, which measure the electrical waves in the heart, as well as other cardiology tests, are used to determine the cause of the disorder.

Further research must be done to measure the relationship between QTc intervals and high death rates from an acute ischemic stroke. A recent Mayo Clinic study revealed that only 70% of patients with longer QTc intervals survived for three months after an ischemic stroke, while 87 percent of those without the disorder survived. Also, among those with prolonged electrical intervals who did survive past 90 days, their functionality was poorer than those with normal heart activity.

Overall, doctors should pay close attention to the electrical activity of their patients’ hearts, especially in patients with chronic heart disease. This can be done through regular testing on an EKG machine.

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EKG machines are still one of the most important diagnostic tools used in health care environments and doctors rely on them to save lives or diagnose the presence of heart disease. By detecting and recording the electrical impulses of the heart, an EKG machine informs physicians of cardiac abnormalities. ECG machine tests can also be used as part of an overall physical exam, particularly for older patients.

While most EKG machines are used when a patient is lying on an examination table, doctors often order stress tests to test the heart’s reaction to physical activity. Either way, a set of electrodes are attached to the patient’s arms, legs and chest. Each electrode, or lead, is connected to an EKG machine, which then measures the electrical activity of the heart from various angles.

Once a technician starts the machine, it starts to record electrical activity in the form of wave tracings. These measurements appear on the machine’s screen in real time, and are also printed out on paper for later analysis. If any immediate abnormalities are evident, they are marked up for future examination by a doctor.

The three waves used in accurate EKG machine readings are the P, QRS and T waves. P waves are low-amplitude waves that measure the impulses from the atria. QRS waves are high-amplitude and measure ventricular impulses, and T waves indicate renewal of the ventricle.

Even though electrodes are used to measure electrical activity in the heart, for patients an ECG machine test is painless. However, most doctors recommend that patients avoid drinking cold water right before the test, since it can cause changes in the heart’s T-wave.

In summary, an EKG machine is a helpful tool to help doctors assess their patients’ overall heart health and determine whether chest pains are caused by heart disease.

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In order for the heart to effectively pump blood through our bodies, an electrical system of impulses must be working properly.

An EKG machine can measure the efficiency of the heart’s electrical impulses, but some wonder how the heart’s electrical conduction system works in the first place. Here is a brief overview:

Here is what is required for the heart to pump effectively:

* Substantial delay between atrial and ventricular activity: This “delay” between impulses allows the atria (or upper chambers) to completely empty their contents into the lower chambers, or ventricles. If the two chambers were to contract simultaneously, this would result in inefficient filling or back flow. In order to maintain this delay, the atria are electrically isolated from the ventricles.
* Coordinated ventricular cell contraction must be present. In order to maximize systolic pressure, forcing the blood through the body, all ventricular cells must work in concert. This contraction, or depolarization process, squeezes blood in one direction, toward the exit of the heart, because the ventricular cells contact simultaneously.
* After contracting, the heart muscle needs to relax in order to fill up again. Any sustained contraction of the heart muscle, without the necessary relaxation, would be fatal.

An EKG machine can be used to measure the effectiveness of the heart’s electrical system, and provide an early diagnosis of any problems.

Because the cardiac muscle has some unique properties from other muscles in the body, it is important to monitor the rhythms and impulses of the heart on a regular basis, particularly if the patient suffers from hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, habitual smoking, or has a family history of heart disease. Maintaining the health of the heart’s electrical rhythms through regular EKG machine testing can be the best preventive medicine for high risk or elderly patients.

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Many physicians are too busy to spend a lot of time looking for the best buys on medical equipment for their offices. One key piece of equipment is an EKG machine. If your existing machine is on its last legs, you may be tempted to work with a local rep to replace it, but is that really the best deal you can get?

Most reps that specialize in basic medical supplies do not have enough expertise with high-tech equipment like EKG machines to help you make the smartest choice, nor do they have access to the best deals available. Most reps get incentives to promote certain machines, but the one they are pushing you to buy may not be the right one for your practice.

While your medical supplier may feel entitled to your business, when it’s time to purchase an EKG machine, it makes sense to explore other purchasing options.

Before deciding on a new EKG machine for your office, it pays to shop around. Take the time to shop the internet to find the best price, and you may be surprised at the level of service you will get online. Most EKG manufacturers offer authorized service representatives, and are likely to have one in your area. Some of these manufacturers and online stores will even offer to train your office staff on the new machine. In addition, the manufacturer usually handles all warranty and service issues anyway, so you can work directly with them on any repairs.

When choosing a new EKG machine, make sure you look for one that meets all your needs. It may make sense to consult with your nursing staff prior to choosing a machine since they will be more familiar with its operation and maintenance. They will also know which features to look for, such as paper size, keyboard functionality, screen size, and computer compatibility, and may even know which make and model would work best for your office.

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