Electrocardiography By Michelle Ramsey

What is it?  A diagnostic device  Shows the hearts electrical activity  Noninvasive  Shows the hearts beating rate  Heart beat regularity

History  Early 1900s  Einthoven  Submerging limbs into salt water  Nobel Peace Prize

How It Works  3-12 pads placed on skin  Leads connect the patient to the ECG machine  Records electrical impulses  Results printed out for a hardcopy and displayed on the devices screen

Leads  Connect the patient to the ECG machine  Range from about 3-12  May be placed commonly on the right/left arm, right/left leg, intercostal space, mid-clavicular line, mid-axillary line, anterior axillary line

Why?  Cardiac murmurs  Seizures  Monitoring during surgery  Monitoring critically ill patients  Slow/fast heart rates  Detect past and future heart attacks  Irregular heart rhythm

Newer Technology

References  [1] A Basic Overview.  [2] A Normal ECG.  [3] Rhythm Recognition  [4] How An ECG Reads Electrical Activity  [5] ECG At Your Healthcare Provider  [6] iPhone and ECG