ECG Machine

ECG machines are the same as EKG machines. The term EKG is abbreviated from the German word Elektro-Kardiographie. One of the primary diagnostic tools physicians rely upon when they suspect the presence of heart disease is the electrocardiograph (EKG or ECG) machine. This machine detects and records the electronic impulses transmitted by the heart during and between heartbeats. (EKG) technicians operate and maintain EKG machines. When patients are suspected of having heart disease or an abnormality, a physician may refer them to an EKG technician for testing. An EKG test may also be included as part of a comprehensive physical examination, especially for older patients. The test is usually performed with the patient lying upon an examination table. Sometimes, however, a physician may order a stress EKG which requires the patient to walk on a treadmill while heart activity is recorded. In either case, the technician attaches from 3 to 12 electrodes (also called leads) to the patient's chest, arms and legs. Each electrode measures your heart's electrical activity from a different angle, which the EKG machine displays as 12 separate readings.

The technician then starts the machine which begins recording wave tracings on a roll of paper. Periodically, the technician relocates the electrodes, notes the replacement on the EKG tracing, and begins the new recording. Once the test is completed, the technician may mark sections of the report that the physician should review. In addition to the standard recording of heart rhythm for examination purposes, the EKG Technician can assist in monitoring the heart during other diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.