| Doctors and nurses rely on hospital medical equipment | | | | not such as reliable food sources, medications, and |
| every day. Patients need to be placed in special beds, | | | | ways to tolerate extreme weather conditions. |
| connected to IVs, and hooked up to electrocardiogram | | | | Advances in medicine have significantly helped keep |
| machines (EKGS). Hospitals see hundreds of patients | | | | that average number rising every year. For instance, |
| each day and these types of machines need to be | | | | the use of the EKG machine has helped doctors |
| available for everyone. These machines save lives | | | | prevent thousands of heart attacks, which is the |
| because they help physicians diagnose and treat their | | | | cause of nearly 20 percent of the deaths in America |
| patients. | | | | each year. The number of annual deaths would be |
| People are living longer today than ever before. Two | | | | much higher without this machine and its ability to map |
| thousand years ago, our ancestors lived an average | | | | the activity of the heart. |
| of only twenty years; many of them would have | | | | Scientists are constantly perfecting hospital medical |
| never reached our legal drinking age! By the turn of the | | | | equipment and new machines are invented yearly. |
| nineteenth century, the life expectancy had not | | | | These machines are put on display at medical |
| increased by much; the average age was around 24 | | | | equipment shows throughout the world. Doctors are |
| years. However, this number doubled by the 1900s and | | | | able to attend these conferences and learn about the |
| today, it has increased significantly. The average | | | | new technology and how it can better treat or |
| lifespan for a human today is around 63 but this | | | | diagnose disease. Medical machines have become so |
| number is much higher in developed countries. Japan | | | | specialized that a new field of medicine, that of |
| holds the record of with the highest average, hovering | | | | radiology, was developed. Radiologists are the ones |
| around 80 years, and the United States is not far | | | | who know how to operate and interpret the machines |
| behind with an average of 77 years. One doctor | | | | properly. |
| predicts that nearly half of the baby boomers will even | | | | With the continuing advancements in medical |
| reach the ripe old age of 100 in good health. | | | | technology, we might all be able to reach that 100-year |
| Today, we enjoy many benefits that are ancestors did | | | | mark! |