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07Apr

What is an electrocardiogram and why is it important for your heart health?

April 7, 2025 equimed cardiology, electrocardiographs 160

The heart is one of the most vital organs in our body, as it is responsible for pumping the blood that carries oxygen and nutrients to all tissues. However, the proper functioning of the heart depends on a series of electrical signals that allow its different parts to contract at the right time. To verify whether these signals are working properly, a test called an electrocardiogram (ECG) is used.

 

In this article, we will explore what an electrocardiogram is, how it is performed, what it is used for, what its results can mean, and why it is an essential tool in the diagnosis and monitoring of heart disease.

 

What is an electrocardiogram and why is it important for your heart health?

 

 

What is an electrocardiogram (ECG)?

An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a simple, quick and non-invasive medical test that allows you to record the electrical activity of your heart. Each time the heart beats, an electrical signal is generated that travels through its four chambers, causing them to contract and pump blood throughout the body.

This process of contraction and relaxation of the heart chambers is controlled by electrical impulses originating in an area called the sinoatrial node (the heart’s natural pacemaker). These electrical signals can be captured and recorded by electrodes placed on the skin, and the results obtained are represented by a series of wavy lines.

Through this recording, physicians can analyze how the heartbeat is occurring, whether the rhythm is regular or irregular, and whether the electrical signal is following the proper path through the heart. In addition, an ECG can detect problems with the strength and timing of electrical signals, which is crucial for identifying various heart diseases.

 

 

How is an electrocardiogram performed?

Performing an electrocardiogram is a relatively simple procedure.

The process usually involves the following steps:

1. Preparation

The patient lies on a stretcher and small adhesive electrodes are placed on various parts of the body, such as the arms, legs and chest. In some cases, the physician may lightly shave the skin in the area of the electrodes to ensure that they adhere properly.

 

2. Placement of the electrodes

The electrodes are attached to wires that are connected to a machine that records the electrical activity of the heart.

 

3. Recording of cardiac activity

While the patient remains at rest and quiet, the machine captures the heart’s electrical signals, creating a graphic or visual representation of the electrical activity.

This procedure usually takes no more than 10 minutes.

 

4. Analysis of the results

Once the ECG is performed, the results are given to the physician for interpretation. This analysis can help detect possible cardiac problems.

 

 

What is the electrocardiogram used for?

The electrocardiogram is a crucial tool in cardiovascular medicine, as it helps to diagnose a wide variety of heart problems, including:

 

Arrhythmias
Heart rhythm disorders, either very fast (tachycardia) or very slow (bradycardia).

Cardiomyopathy
Diseases that affect the heart muscle, hindering the heart’s ability to pump blood properly.

Coronary artery disease
These conditions can cause blockages in the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart.

Myocardial infarction (heart attack)
An ECG can detect signs of a recent heart attack or even previous attacks that had not been identified.

Heart failure
A condition in which the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs.

Heart valve diseases
Affect the heart valves, which can disrupt proper blood flow.

Congenital heart defects
Heart problems present from birth that can be identified through an ECG.

 

The electrocardiogram is a crucial tool in cardiovascular medicine, as it helps to diagnose a wide variety of heart problems

 

 

When is it recommended to perform an electrocardiogram?

An electrocardiogram is recommended primarily when the patient has symptoms that may be related to heart problems.

Some of these symptoms include:

  • Chest pain: Chest pain is one of the most common symptoms of a possible heart problem.
  • Irregular or rapid heartbeat: A heart that beats too fast, irregularly or erratically may be an indication of arrhythmias.
  • Shortness of breath: Shortness of breath may be associated with heart disease that affects the heart’s ability to pump blood.
  • Dizziness or fainting: These episodes may occur when blood flow to the brain is impaired.
  • Unexplained fatigue: Extreme tiredness may be a sign that the heart is not working efficiently.
  • Reduced ability to exercise: If a patient experiences difficulty in previously unproblematic physical activities, an ECG may be necessary.

 

In addition, the electrocardiogram may be useful in the following cases:

  • To monitor the health status of the heart prior to surgery.
  • In patients with a family history of heart disease.
  • If the patient has conditions such as diabetes, which increase the risk of developing heart disease.

 

 

What are the risks of electrocardiography?

Electrocardiography is a completely safe and noninvasive procedure. It does not require the use of needles or the administration of medication, which minimizes the risk of side effects. Some people may experience slight skin irritation after the electrodes are removed, but this usually disappears quickly.

It is important to clarify that the ECG does not involve any type of electrical shock to the body. It simply records the natural electrical activity of the heart, so there is no risk of electric shock to the patient.

 

What are the risks of electrocardiography?

 

 

What do the results of the electrocardiogram mean?

Electrocardiogram results are presented as a series of waves representing different times of the heart’s electrical activity. A normal ECG shows a constant pattern indicating that the heart is beating regularly and efficiently.

Los resultados del electrocardiograma se presentan como una serie de ondas que representan los diferentes momentos de la actividad eléctrica del corazón
If the ECG reveals that there are irregularities in the waves, this could indicate several health problems, such as:

  • Arrhythmias: If the heartbeat is irregular or out of place.
  • Conduction problems: When electrical signals do not travel properly through the heart.
  • Myocardial infarction: Signs suggesting that the patient has suffered a heart attack.
  • Cardiac hypertrophy: An enlargement of the heart or its chambers, which may be a sign of heart failure.

 

In the event that abnormal results are detected, the physician may recommend additional tests to make a more accurate diagnosis and determine the appropriate treatment.

 

“The electrocardiogram is an essential tool for evaluating the health of the heart. Through a simple, noninvasive test, physicians can obtain valuable information about the rhythm, rate and timing of the heartbeat, allowing them to identify a wide range of cardiovascular problems. If you have symptoms that suggest a heart problem or are at risk of developing heart disease, an ECG can be one of the first steps to early diagnosis and appropriate treatment.“

 

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17Feb

Holter recorders and the importance of electrocardiograms

February 17, 2023 equimed cardiology, holter cardio, medical equipment 78

In this article, we are going to learn about one of the fundamental elements in cardiology, the Holter, and the characteristics of one of the most advanced and innovative Holter recorders on the market: the H12+ Holter recorder.

Frequently, in certain pathologies such as arrhythmias, palpitations or fainting, the patient does not have symptoms when they go to the hospital. That is why knowing how your heart behaves throughout a whole day or more can provide us with very useful information.

In this sense, the Holter is crucial: it allows us to keep track of the heart’s activity for 24 hours and record on a device all the heartbeats during this time. 

 

What is Holter

The Holter is an invention of the biophysicist Norman J. Holter that answers the question: How to know how the heart behaves during any given day, while we do our daily activities? 

Specifically, it is a small electronic device that records and stores the patient’s electrocardiogram. That is, it records the heart rhythm, so it is used to detect or determine the risk of irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias).

This medical device allows continuous recording of cardiac activity (electrocardiogram) or also of blood pressure figures for a long period of time, usually 24 hours.

 

Holter recorders allows continuous recording of cardiac activity
Copyright © Hill-Rom Services, Inc.

 

 

How can monitoring be?

According to the devices and monitoring, we find:

 

1. Continuous monitoring devices
They collect electrical activity continuously for 24, 48 or 72 hours.

2. Intermittent monitoring devices
They collect the electrical activity of the heart only when activated by the patient.

 


Copyright © Hill-Rom Services, Inc.

 

 

When to use the Holter?

The Holter ECG is basically used for the study of arrhythmias, bradycardia, coronary disease and extrasystoles .

The main indications for ambulatory monitoring, which is usually 24 hours, are:

  • When it is suspected that there may be some type of arrhythmia that appears temporarily and is not detected at the time of performing an electrocardiogram. Example: irregular heartbeat, dizziness, or loss of consciousness.
  • Palpitations and tachycardia of origin that is not well typified.
  • When you want to know if they have any episodes of lack of blood supply to the heart throughout the day.
  • Dizziness, fainting, or syncope without a specific cause.
  • Chest pain at rest or during exercise without stress ECG findings.
  • Control of implanted pacemakers and ICDs.
  • Evaluation of anti-arrhythmic and anti-anginal drugs.
  • In patients who receive a specific treatment, to check if it is effective in controlling changes in rhythm or heart rate or episodes of lack of irrigation.

 

One of the most advanced and innovative Holter recorders on the market
Copyright © Hill-Rom Services, Inc.

 

 

Does it have side effects? Is it annoying?

No. This device does not emit radiation and cannot cause cramps or electric shocks.

 

 

How does a cardiac holter work?

It consists of placing electrodes on the chest that are connected to a small device (Holter).

The device records the heart rate during the programmed time or during the period activated by the patient.

Then, what is recorded is transferred to a computer that identifies possible cardiac alterations produced during the recording period. This allows cardiologists to have very useful information about heart rate, rhythm disturbances, and possible disorders due to coronary flow disturbances.

In this case, it is vital that during the time that the patient is monitored he maintains his daily routine without limitations, since the objective is to see how the heart behaves during its normal activity.

 

Copyright © Hill-Rom Services, Inc.

 

 

 

The H12+ digital Holter recorder

At Equimed we have extensive experience in the distribution of medical equipment and its consumables , betting from our beginnings on cutting-edge technology from the leading brands in the medical, clinical and surgical sector. And Holter devices, led by the H12+ digital Holter recorder , are no exception.

Features

Weighing just 125g, compact and lightweight, the H12+ digital Holter recorder is designed to help improve the patient experience .

This device allows you to continuously record 48 hours of high-fidelity 12-lead ECG data on every beat, all on a Secure Digital (SD) memory card with a capacity of up to 48 hours on a single AA alkaline battery.

Plus, our patented LeadForm patient cable helps maximize comfort, and a full graphic display lets you preview ECG waveforms during patient connection.

Among its characteristics , they also highlight:

 

  • Entering the digital patient ID

    To enable unique identification of each recording. No external input devices are needed to enter IDs. 

 

  • High-resolution pacemaker detection

    The sampling rate of 32,000 samples per second per channel offers accurate detection of pacemaker spikes.

     

  • High fidelity recordings

    Bandwidth between 0.05 and 300 improves clinical results thanks to an advanced algorithm (ST segment, QT/QTc interval and analysis). These recordings are quickly imported and analyzed into the HScribe Holter analysis system, which provides sophisticated review and powerful editing tools to ensure quality and accurate reporting.

 

  • VERITAS Analysis

    The H12+ recorder is compatible with the HScribe holter analysis system, which integrates VERITAS signal processing and analysis functions. 

 

 

 Digital Holter Recorder H3+™

In addition to the H12+ digital Holter recorder, at Equimed we also have the H3+ digital Holter recorder , which offers three-channel recording with a standard pacemaker spike detection function.

In addition, it allows you to generate a continuous record of up to two days with only one AAA battery. This stands out for:

  • The H3+™ Holter recorder is compatible with the HScribe Holter Analysis System , which integrates best-in-class VERITAS signal processing and analysis capabilities. Thus, recordings are quickly imported and analyzed in this analysis system.

 

  • Weighing just 28 grams, the H3+ digital Holter recorder is small and light , offering great comfort for patients. Offers 3-channel recording with standard pacemaker spike detection function; In addition, it allows you to generate a continuous record of up to two days with only one AAA battery.


 

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