Technology, technology, and technology! Is it helping us? What is a revolution in diagnostics? Will it help humanity? Questions like these flood our minds when we think of technological breakthroughs every day!
Similarly, people thought the same for EKG when it was first proposed. And now, the entire world’s healthcare cannot function without it!
So, without further ado, let’s see what it is, its components, and how it works!
What’s an EKG?
The abbreviation EKG means electrocardiogram. Electrogram is an electronic test for the functioning of the heart by the rate of its beating. With each heartbeat, our heart sends an electrical signal through the heart.
We attach electrodes to the patient’s hands, legs, and chest to measure these signals. The wires coming out of the electrodes are connected to a computer that will record all the data coming from the electrodes.
In this manner, we can track the heart’s electrical activity. This procedure takes about three minutes, and it is painless.
Why is it Essential?
EKG is used to actively monitor the heart and see any disorder or malfunction. It helps us with testing the following diseases or disorders.
- Irregular heartbeat (Called arrhythmia)
- Heart failure
- Blocked arteries
- Heart damage
- Heart attack
EKGs are often used in the ambulance, hospital emergency, or such places to diagnose a suspected heart attack.
You should go for an EKG if you have the following symptoms.
- Dizziness
- Chest pain
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath
- Rapid heartbeat
- Arrhythmia (weird, irregular heartbeats)
Growth of the System Over the Years
There were multiple methods used to detect the signals from the heart on the electrodes. Like, different positioning of the electrodes and different methods of testing. Conductive gel is applied on the electrodes in order to increase the conductivity of the signals as the produced voltage is too small in microvolts.
The entire setup includes at least four electrodes attached to the extremes of the body that is either on the shoulders or wrists of both hands and legs. Different variations of these electrode positioning are used for more flexible and less intrusive results.
Bipolar Limb Leads
Bipolar lead is the combination of 3 electrodes, two attached on both wrists and one attached either on one of the ankles or in the lower abdominal area.
This positioning of the electrodes is known as “Einthoven’s Triangle”. The information gathered from these leads is known as bipolar. On the graph, there are 3 bipolar leads.
Augmented Limb Leads
In 1942, Dr. Emanuel Goldberger in New York converted 3 unipolar leads into 3 limbs, aVL, aVF, and aVR. The ‘a’ in the names of these limbs represent augmentation.
They are named augmented limbs because they require augmentation to match the rest of the leads. These limbs reduce the frontal degree increments to 30 degrees and allow a highly detailed EKG.
Precordial Chest Leads
The placement of leads in the horizontal plane created V1-V6, where V stands for vector. They are known as precordial leads and played a major part in revolutionizing the diagnostics of ischemic heart disease through EKG.
Types of the Best Cables Used
There are two major types of connectors used on the cables. First is the pinch. It works like the peg we use for hanging our clothes. Just pinch it away from the patient. Snap is the second one, and it is named so because we have to snap it out of the patient.
10-Lead EKG Cables – Pinch
A surface electrocardiogram is copied utilizing signals identified by the interior leads of an embedded gadget.
The copying is performed utilizing a lattice-based strategy that independently copies every one of the singular signs of a numerous lead EKG, rather than only imitating a solitary consolidated EKG.
In one model, every one of the twelve signs of a standard 10-lead EKG is independently imitated, taking separate handling and showing into account. The copying method considers factors influencing the overall areas of the interior leads, like breath and stance, to give a more exact imitating.
10-Lead EKG Cables – Snap
A connector incorporates a lodging, a female snap connector part conveyed by the lodging and arranged to mechanically and electrically associate with a male snap connector individual from an electrode, a three-pivot accelerometer conveyed by the lodging and designed to detect legitimate speed increase of the connector, and a microchip in electrical correspondence with the snap connector and with the accelerometer.
Burdick Compatible Direct-Connect Cable Banana
Burdick ECG banana cables are accessible in 3-, 5-, 6-and 12-lead designs, alongside a 5-lead cable with an inherent electro-careful unit channel for working rooms and a 3-lead DIN-style cable for precise observing. Cables are electrically protected to ensure ECG signal accuracy, not made with regular elastic-plastic or DEHP ROHS (Restriction of perilous substances) material.
Criticare Compatible Direct-Connect ECG Cable
Synthetic safe jacketing broadens cable life, works with cleaning, and remains adaptable to endure bowing and turning and upgrade patient solace. A normalized interface permits patients to move handily from one observing location to another.
A green-hued connector empowers simple, recognizable proof of the ECG cable. Cables are in reverse viable with existing high-quality monitors. ECG cables have a pictorial manual for help with the arrangement of the patient lead wires.
GE Compatible ECG Trunk Cable
GE ECG trunk cables assist you with dependably making the right association with GE observing gadgets. These high-quality reusable links supplement your observing hardware, empowering precise estimations.
GE trunk cables go through severe testing to guarantee the quality, unwavering quality, and wellbeing. They have been tried and checked as viable with GE observing devices1 to convey ideal execution and an elevated requirement of care.
Which Combination is the Most Accurate?
It depends on the users and the economic feasibility of the institution to choose the type of connector they want to use. If they use snap, then it is reused, but they have to take care of the hygiene of the patients.
If the institution uses pinch-type to choose connectors, they have to dispose of them after using them. But it adds to the hassle of changing and buying new ones.
The Final Verdict
Although there’s a wide variety of leads available, reusable connectors are slightly better as they encourage recycling and are cost-effective.
So, if you want to see a high-quality lineup of ECG leads of all sorts, hop on to AKW Medical right now!
