Challenges to EKGs and Stress Gauges, Essay Example

The world of medicine makes use of every single available tool in order to determine the best course of treatment for patients. One of the tools that has become a necessity for cardiologists, and a valuable test for emergency room physicians is the electrocardiogram or EKG. EKGs use various different sensors over certain parts of the body so that readings are obtained in order to assess any problems in the heart. This tool, however, can often have some complications which include: a normal EKG even though there is a problem, failure to predict heart attacks, failure to express changes after a heart attack, problems that only show during physical activity, and many more problems. The most prominent of all of these problems is without a doubt the failure to predict heart attacks which often results in the death of a patient. In order to address this issue doctors have begun to assess patients prone to heart attacks or with a history that might make them a likely candidate with timely check-ups by nurses that ensures the patient is safe and sounds despite having a completely normal EKG.

With the constant need of more efficient ways to conduct processes, stress gauges have recently been used to ensure that there are no air bubbles in lines used to deliver medications to patients. This is an ultrasonic sensor that works by maintaining constant readings on the pressure of the fluid being delivered, and will notify immediately if an air bubble was to be found. This is especially useful for nurses in making the delivery of medications more efficient and safer. Often, air bubbles go unnoticed and could have severe detrimental effects on patients’ well-being. This sensor can vary from .5 millimeters to an astonishing 50 millimeters as required. The practicality of this sensor is very high and most certainly results in better medical care delivered to the patients.

References

Miniature Medical Pressure Sensors, Medical Flow Sensors | Strain Measurement Devices. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.smdsensors.com/Products/Medical-Fluid-Measurement-and-Critical-Care-Fluid-Delivery/

What Is an Electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG) Test?. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/electrocardiogram?page=4