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Electrocardiograms are a crucial instrument used by medical professionals to diagnose if a patient has any underlying heat conditions. The machine makes use of electrodes which are attached to the patient's chest, and the rhythms are shown on a screen and then printed on to paper. Physicians then interpret the EKG results to identify any abnormal heart patterns.

Medical specialists make use of EKG's to diagnose any heart problems. EKG results show the heart patterns so they can check if there are any unnatural behaviours. If there are any abnormalities found in heart contractions, heart rate, and heart beat, this can indicate that the patient has had previous heart ailments. The doctor may order more testing to evaluate exactly what causes these problems.

There are many ways that doctors can interpret EKG results. However, most of them look for specific patterns related to a patient's heart rate. The electrodes connected to the heart introduce stimulus in order to allow it to contract and relax. The reading is interpreted this way: the first spike, known as the P spike, indicates contractions located in the upper heart chamber. The PR interval, which is the flatter line in the reading, indicates the gaps between contractions and relaxations in the atria. The EKG will have other spikes and dips depending on the patient's heart rhythms which represents electrical wave and the doctors use different letters of the alphabet to name them.

A normal heart without any cardiac disorders will still have slightly varying patterns, called sinus arrhythmia. There is no need for worry when patients exhibit such activity in their heart, in fact the absence of any sinus arrhythmia may actually be a cause for concern. This is because it can be a sign of heart failure or heart attack. The EKG is a crucial tool because it can determine if the patient is in need of treatment to prevent cardiac arrest or heart failure from occurring although it is the doctor's decision of the patient needs further examination. EKG specialists need to be highly trained to interpret the various patterns from the test and analyze the information properly so as to prevent any fatal results.

In order to learn how to read EKG's, one needs the proper background and training. There are many available methods known to interpret the readings, so it can be very difficult for those who are not in the medical industry to do so. Although you won't be able to interpret the results yourself, your ECG technician can explain everything in simple terms for you.

ECG technicians are provided with thorough training and experience in order to analyze and interpret results. The electrodes are attached to specific body parts, so the ECG tech needs to fully understand the workings of that body part. Upon completion of the examination, the EKG technician will print out the readings and know how to search for any abnormalities, and if they find any these are reported to the doctor. They will decide the best course of action and communicate the findings to the patient.