EKG Lab

Different ways of monitoring the heart:

Auscultation: The act of using a stethoscope to listen to sounds made by the heart, blood, and lungs.

Echocardiography: A technique that uses ultrasound to visualize the details of the heart.

Electrocardiography (ECG or EKG): A graphic representation of the heart's electrical activity over time.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): A technique to obtain high-resolution images of organs within the human body. This is done by mapping the distribution of hydrogen nuclei.

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EKG LAB

Objective: To obtain a graphical representation of the electrical activity of the heart.

Materials:

• Computer
• Computer Interface
• Logger Pro
• EKG Sensor
• Electrode Tabs

Procedure:

1. We first connected the EKG Sensor to the computer interface, and opened the file "12 Analyzing Heart EKG" in Logger Pro.
2. Next we attached three electrode tabs to our arms. On a right arm we placed two tabs - one on the inside of the upper forearm and the other on the wrist. On the left arm we only placed one tab - on the inside of the upper forearm. 
3. Then we connected the EKG clips to the electrode tabs. We then had our test subjects sit in a relaxed position with their forearms resting on their legs. Once the subjects were in the proper position we began to collect data.

Data/Analysis:

An example of a normal EKG:

The P Wave represents atrial contraction.
The QRS Wave represents ventricular contraction.
The T Wave represents ventricular repolarization, or the recovery period of the heart.


My own EKG

This shows that I have a small QRS wave and a long T wave, or a long recovery period.

Overall this lab showed that everyone's heart beat is different, but there are certain things (P, QRS, and T wave) that are constant.