A low cost ECG central station for intensive care

A electrocardiogram (ECG) central station has been developed for the Intensive Care Unit at Christchurch Hospital. The system allows the selection and display of four ECGs selected from seven bedside monitors in the Unit. It also provides for automatic display, hard copy and audio alarm of ECG from any monitor which has detected an alarm condition--irrespective of whether that channel was being displayed prior to alarm detection. The system comprises a control unit (based on an 8085 microprocessor) and a mobile ECG station (4-channel ECG monitor, ECG recorder and computer terminal). Over the three years since its installation, the central station has been used 24 hours a day by medical and nursing staff and has proven to be a valued and reliable instrument in an intensive care environment.