Ekg Interpretation

How to Calculate Heart Rate & EKG

The electrocardiogram (EKG) is a tool that your physician can use to gauge how your heart is working without actually seeing your heart. According to Net Doctor, the electrocardiogram measures the electrical activity of the heart while it is...

Difference Between RN & LPN Assessment

When a patient enters the healthcare setting, he often encounters both registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs). Each of these nurses has her own set of responsibilities, including patient assessments. While each state has...

Exercises & EKGs

Your heart's conduction system creates a steady heartbeat that increases in response to exercise. The physiological changes of the heart during exercise are reflected in EKG tracings. The electrical activity of your heart recorded by the EKG...

Potassium & Heart Palpitations

An essential positively charged ion, potassium is intimately connected with the electrical conduction system of the heart, according to "Rapid Interpretation of EKG's." Imbalances in potassium, an electrolyte, can produce dangerous heart...

High Potassium Levels and Heart

A clinically high potassium level in the heart is called hyperkalemia. Potassium is one of the most crucial positively-charged ions for the cells of the heart. The resting membrane potential of cardiac cells is determined in part by the flow of...

How to Count the Heart Rate on a 6 Second Strip

An EKG, the abbreviation for electrocardiogram, is a device that registers your heart function by picking up electrical impulses through your skin. The device measures the speed of your heart beat, or heart rate, and also reports anomalies in the...

Raised Potassium Levels in the Blood

High levels of potassium in the body reflect a condition called hyperkalemia. According to the "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine," potassium is a crucial electrolyte in resting membrane potential. In hyperkalemic states, the delicate...

Potassium Levels in Babies

The seventh-most abundant metal on the earth, potassium is an essential electrolyte in the body. The movement of potassium ions through cell membranes determines the contraction-relaxation state of muscles, according to "Rapid Interpretation of...

Normal Potassium Levels in Humans

A crucial electrolyte, potassium levels are normally kept within a narrow range, according to "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine." This mineral is the major cation inside the cells responsible for the relaxation phase of muscle...

Symptoms of Low Potassium & Low Bilirubin

Potassium is a crucial electrolyte responsible for the resting phase of muscles. On the other hand, bilirubin is the by-product of red blood cell breakdown found in bile. Under normal circumstances, these two substances would not be compared,...

High Levels of Potassium & Sweating

Potassium is a crucial electrolyte involved in muscle relaxation, especially in the heart. Therefore, maintaining a balanced potassium level is essential to healthy function of your heart. According to "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine,"...

Common EKG Rhythms

In 1901, a German scientist developed the electrokardiogram, or EKG. The English translation-- electrocardiogram, or ECG--represents the same measuring device physicians routinely use to record the normal and abnormal electrical activity or...

Landmarks for EKG Lead Placement

In 1901, Willem Einthoven invented the EKG machine. The EKG, or electrocardiogram, is a diagnostic tool widely used to measure the electrical activity of the heart. In addition to providing health care professionals with a record of cardiac...

Excessive Magnesium & Heart PVCs

The heart has four chambers. The atria are the two upper chambers, while the ventricles are the two lower chambers. Whenever the heart beats, an electrical signal spreads through the heart, which makes the heart muscle contract. A heart that beats...

High Levels of Potassium and Rash on Forearms and Shins

A critical electrolyte in your body is potassium. A positively charged ion, potassium is responsible for electrical relaxation of your muscle cells, especially those in your heart. According to "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine,"...

High Potassium in Babies

Crucial to muscle contraction and relaxation, potassium is the most abundant electrolyte within your baby's cells. Potassium is a positively charged ion that is responsible for the relaxation of your baby's heart muscle. The book "Miller's...

How to Read the Lines on a Heart Monitor

A heart monitor, also known as an electrocardiogram or EKG monitor, is a graphical representation of the heart's rhythms over time captured by electrodes attached to a person's skin. The machine captures electrical signals sent out by the heart...

Abnormal EKG Results

Electrocardiograms, known as EKGs, can give your doctor a quick clue about life and death situations involving your cardiac health. The EKG is a diagnostic tool that represents the electrical activity that controls your heart. According to Medline...

Low Potassium & Abnormal EKG

Potassium is the most abundant cation, or positively charged ion, found inside human cells. Potassium is necessary for the proper functioning of skeletal muscles, kidneys and the heart. The effect of low blood potassium on the heart muscle can...

What Are Symptoms of Low Potassium Levels?

Low blood potassium is a condition called hypokalemia. Approximately 98 percent of the body's potassium stores are located within cells in what is known as intracellular fluid, or ICF, according to "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine." A...

Abnormal EKG Rhythms

The electrocardiogram is the most basic tool in a cardiologists diagnostic arsenal. Also referred to as an EKG, the electrocardiogram traces electrical impulses that cause contractions of the heart muscle, known as the myocardium. In a joint...

How to Interpret a Treadmill Test

Treadmill testing is used by doctors to measure the amount of blood your heart pumps through your arteries during activity. This helps doctors determine if you have any blockages or other risk factors for heart disease. Your blood pressure and...

Heart Rate & EKG Exercises

An EKG, or electrocardiogram, is a testing procedure that uses your heart's electrical output to check for signs of certain heart-related ailments. In some circumstances, this testing may be part of a procedure called an exercise stress test,...

Treadmill Exercise Tests

Treadmill tests, also known as exercise stress tests, are monitored exercise sessions designed to gauge blood and oxygen flow to your heart under the stress of physical activity. In addition to a treadmill, they require the use of a specialized...

Guidelines for Exercise Stress Testing

An exercise stress test is commonly prescribed by cardiologists and primary care doctors in order to diagnose heart ailments. Exercise stress tests involve light exercise on a treadmill while you are monitored by electrodes -- electrocardiograph...