Bradycardia

What Is Bradycardia?

In the Greek language means “heart slowness”. It is basically a heart rate that is under 60 beats per minute while a person is at rest. Bradycardia is usually not detectable unless the heart rate drops to below 50 beats a minute. This slower heart rate can produce heart attacks in some individuals or even cardiac arrests.

A cardiac arrest differs from a heart attack. It is caused by the normal circulation of the blood getting interrupted from the lack of heart contractions. A heart attack usually happens as a result of an interruption of the blood flow specifically to part of the heart that causes cells in the heart to die.

Bradycardia may trigger a heart attack or cardiac arrest when the slow heart rhythms (bradycardia’s) are unable to pump sufficient supply of oxygen to the heart. With insufficient oxygen, the heart can display symptoms that resemble a heart attack. An individual may have difficulty breathing or have a fainting spell. It could even lead to death.

Cardiac electrical therapies may increase the oxygen flow and heart rate to improve dangerous bradycardia conditions. Several cardiac electrical therapies include:

– Implanting an ECG recorder for long-term monitoring to diagnosis an arrhythmia condition.

– Implanting a dual and single chamber pacemaker and a defibrillator.

– Implanting a biventricular pacemaker and defibrillator treat congestive heart failure.

It is possible for a young and healthy individual or an athlete to have a resting heart beat that is under 30 beats per minute. For example, a professional cyclist who has a resting heart beat of 28 beats per minute. Bradycardia can be regarded as healthy and normal if a person does not exhibit any weakness, fatigue, dizziness, fainting, shortness of breath or discomfort in their chest.

An EKG machine is typically used by ECG technicians with ECG/EKG training to diagnosis bradycardia. This machine can measure the electrical signals that control the heart rhythm. The EKG examination can determine how the body’s electrical impulses travel through the muscle of the heart when it rests and when it contracts.

ECG technicians often work directly with a patient or as part of an emergency room team. You can find them in a cardiology hospital department, a surgery recovery room or in a nursing home. Nursing assistants often can advance their careers by taking ECG/EKG classes and obtaining ECG/EKG certification in order to work in emergency and telemetry departments.

ECG technicians have specialized ECG/EKG training that provides the knowledge and skills to analyze a patient’s heart rhythms for detecting serious heart conditions. The ECG/EKG classes usually cover how to prepare the patient, operate the ECG/EKG device, placement of the electrical leads and analysis of ECG readings. Most hospital’s require students to obtain a ECG/EKG certification before they can be employed.

An electrocardiogram (e-lek-tro-KAR-de-o-gram), also called an EKG or ECG, is a simple, painless test that records the heart’s electrical activity. To understand this test, it helps to understand how the heart works.