Heart monitoring equipment comes in all shapes and sizes. Larger, more complex devices are used in hospitals and operating rooms, while small yet high-tech equipment is used in cardiology practices across the country.

Cardiac monitoring equipment is utilized at the first sign of angina or other obvious cardiac issues. There're no ifs, ands or buts: When a patient complains of chest pain or arrhythmia, he's hooked up to cardiac equipment to monitor and diagnose his condition. Consider the following:

1. Find affordable cardiac monitoring equipment for your cardiac practice or surgery center.

2. Locate portable cardiac monitoring devices, such as Holter recorders, to get a better view of patients' heart rhythms.

3. Encourage your patients to take charge of their health by using a blood pressure monitor regularly.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Buy general ECG monitoring equipment

Cardiac monitors encompass a wide range of functions. They don't just monitor heart rhythms, they monitor respiration rate, pulse oximetry, blood pressure and temperature, among other vital signs. Some also come with a built-in defibrillator in case patients show dangerous abnormal heart rhythms.

I recommend: Buy a cardiac monitor with all the bells and whistles from Venture Medical ReQuip, exclusive U.S. distributor of Pace Tech equipment. Find new and used cardiac monitors at DRE, which also stocks pulse oximeters and carbon dioxide monitors.

Prepare for your patients' needs for portable cardiac monitoring

In many cases of suspected heart trouble, the simplest solution is to send the patient on their way wearing a Holter system. These heart monitoring devices record heart rhythms as the patient goes about their normal activities. They record the rhythms for you to analyze later and determine if there were any abnormalities during the testing period.

I recommend: Invest in a few Holter monitors and recorders from Stork Medical for ambulatory electrocardiology. Choose from five different digital Holter analyzers at Forest Medical.

Encourage your patients to use a blood pressure monitor to take a proactive role in their healthcare

These monitors are used at home by the patients themselves. As part of their cardiac health regimen, they are to take their blood pressure a certain number of times each day and track it in a log book. This can help you diagnose chronic hypertension and prescribe or adjust medications as needed.

I recommend: Advise your patients with arthritis in their hands to use an electronic monitor from Professional Appearances as they may lack the strength and dexterity required to inflate a manual cuff. Manual blood pressure devices are available at HeartRateMonitorsUSA.com.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  The heart centers at hospitals often do invasive surgeries that require patients to recover in the hospital for a few days before going home. There are different discharge criteria that vary from hospital to hospital, but most doctors encourage their patients to walk around and get a bit of exercise to gain their strength back. Cardiac remote monitoring is a simple way to monitor your patients as they walk the halls.