When medical professionals want to monitor the heart, they use different monitoring electrodes, which are sensors that record the electrical activity for the ECG. In some cases, they are attached to the skin using sticky patches, and in others, they use spiral electrode monitoring to monitor the fetal heartbeat. Electrodes are vital to these monitoring and testing procedures, and they come in many different combinations of size, adhesive strength, backing, and packaging.
A Range of Options
Monitoring electrodes come in a variety of options to ensure that each type is effective for the job it needs to do. There are other factors to consider, including patient skin type, size, and the monitoring situation so that the best electrode for the job is used. Many providers choose disposable ECG electrodes because they work well for all types of diagnostic and monitoring applications, including stress tests, resting ECG, long term monitoring, and short term monitoring.
What to Know About Electrodes
In general, monitoring electrodes are disposable, and they are discarded after use on one patient. However, there are some at-home electrodes that can be reused by a single patient. Electrodes come in many forms, including hypoallergenic and latex free options. In addition, electrodes should not be used on more than one single patient to avoid cross contamination. Another type of electrode is called the dry electrode, which is often used for remote health monitoring through wireless control systems. Another important fact is to make sure that the electrodes are used within 30 days once the package is opened; otherwise, they have a 24-month shelf life when the package is sealed.
