Why Patient Monitoring Instruments are Important in Medical Care

The main objective of patient monitoring is to have a quantitative assessment of the important physiological variables of the patient during critical periods of their biological functions. In medical diagnostic and research, it is necessary to know their actual value or trend of change.

Medical monitoring instruments are used for measuring continuously or at regular intervals, automatically, the values of the patient’s key physiological parameters. There are several groups of patient’s who may need continuous monitoring or intensive care: Critically ill patients recovering from surgery, heart attack or serious illness are often placed in special units generally known as intensive care units (ICU); where their vital signs can be watched constantly by the use of vital electronic instruments.

The long-term objective of monitoring patients is generally to decrease mortality and illness by:

• Displaying and presenting information in an organized way so that the information is meaningful for improved patient care.
• Processing the data to set alarms on the development of abnormal conditions.
• Correlating multiple parameters for clear demonstration of clinical problems.
• Proving information, based on automated data, regarding data.

During lengthy surgical operation procedures, it is difficult for the Anaesthesiologist and the Surgeon to maintain intimate contact with the patient’s vital signs and at the same time attend to anaesthesia, surgery, fluid therapy and many other details that are required under such circumstances therefore a patient monitoring system plays a vital role here. Also, when a patient is connected to a life-supported apparatus e.g. a ventilator or heart-lung machine, correct functioning of all these has to be monitored well with patient monitoring system. With a patient monitoring system, it is possible to detect complications that may arise for example during surgery, before they prove dangerous and take remedial measures in time.

Some of the key biological functions or parameters monitored include:

• Heart rate (instantaneous or average)
• Pulse rate
• Blood pressure (indirect arterial blood pressure, direct arterial blood pressure or venous blood pressure)
• Body temperature
• Respiratory rate
• Respiratory volume
• Oxygen tension
• Electrocardiogram (ECG)
• Electroencephalogram (EEG)

Generally monitoring may be carried out at bedside, central station, or a bedside with a central display.