New, state-of-the-art cardiac and vital sign monitors recently were added to the emergency service department at River valley Health System in Ironton.

Friday, March 10, 2000

New, state-of-the-art cardiac and vital sign monitors recently were added to the emergency service department at River valley Health System in Ironton.

Monitors now are available in every patient treatment area in the emergency room, plus the overall system has been greatly enhanced by the addition of a centralized monitor at the physicians’ and nurses’ station, said James Ross, M.D.

"We needed to be able to use monitors on everybody," Ross explained. "Also, with the addition of a centralized monitor, we can see all the patients’ information in one spot."

The monitors, manufactured by Hewlett-Packard, measure oxygen saturation in the bloodstream, respiration levels, blood pressure, pulse rate, PVC (premature ventricular contraction, which is a type of cardiac arrhythmia) as well as other vital signs. When those signs go below acceptable levels, an alarm sounds.

The monitors are programmable, which permit caregivers to determine the length of time between blood pressure levels being automatically checked, for example.

Also, physicians and nurses can program the monitors to include medication and dosage information. In turn, that decreases the risk of incorrect dosages, the ER physician said.

"These are the same monitors that are used in the cardiac intensive care unit," Ross said, adding that plans are on the drawing board to interface the monitors in the unit with the centralized unit in the emergency room.

"That way, a physician always will be monitoring patients’ vital signs, even in the middle of the night when there might not be a physician in the unit," he said.

Ross said the additional monitors, as well as the central computer station give the patient quicker turnaround time plus they greatly enhance the quality of care." Ross said.