ECG / EKG Machine

Getting Familiar With an EKG Machines

An electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG) is a medical device used in monitoring the heart’s electrical activity, translating its results into interpretable line tracings. An ECG machine is necessary during noninvasive procedures in monitoring symptoms such as cardiac murmurs, syncope, seizures, perceived cardiac dysrhythmias, or symptoms of myocardial infarction. As well, an EKG machine is necessary for patients with systemic disease, and for those that are critically ill.

An EKG machine measures the different regions of the heart, and translates the results into line tracings that can be observed on built-in display monitor on certain portable devices, such as the GE MAC 1200 Plus EKG machine. In most cases though, an ECG device will print their results onto specially designated ECG paper (it should be noted that portable ECG devices with built-in display monitors such as GE MAC 1200 EKG machine also have a print function as well). The line tracings are measured by the spikes and dips, and are referred to as waves.

On an EKG machine, the measurement of the upper heart chamber (or the atria) is called the P wave. A device will record the electrical activity that occurs during the procedure, and will compare the results to the other chambers of the heart.

The movement of electrical impulses through the ventricles (or the lower heart chambers) is labelled as the QRS complex.

The T wave displays when the ventricles are electrically resetting, as well as when it is bracing for the heart’s next contraction.

A cardiologist uses these different waves and divides them into different segments and intervals to measure, observe, and record the different patterns of the heart. An good example of an ECG measurement is by observing the ST segment. The ST segment is measured as a straight line between when the QRS complex ends and when the T wave begins. The ST segment is used to show when the lower heart chamber is depolarized, representing that the heart in a state of contraction.