A cost-effective system for obtaining comprehensive cardiovascular information on the critically ill patient

A relatively simple and inexpensive data management system is described with which comprehensive physiologic and cardiovascular profiles are produced. The system is comprised of a desk-top programmable calculator interfaced with an acoustic digitizer input, and an X-Y plotter, with alphanumeric printing output capability. Numerical clinical data such as intracardiac pressures and blood gas values are entered into the calculator via the keyboard, and graphical data such as dye-dilution curves or ventricular contours are digitized with a pen stylus on the acoustic tablet. The data are processed in the calculator and the results charted in familiar and readily interpreted bar-graph format on preprinted charts on the X-Y plotter. The entire system is inexpensive and compact enough to be applicable to small- and medium-size community hospitals.