All organ-support machines (ventilators, dialysis machines and extracorporeal circulation systems) also monitor a large number of parameters allowing therapy to be adjusted with the utmost precision.
Learn more about equipment used in intensive care
Each machine used by clinicians to monitor or treat patients is set to trigger a certain number of alarms. It allows clinicians to be alerted in the event of a problem, but also when an action is required by the machine. Not all alarms are urgent, and while they can be anxiety-provoking for unaccustomed ears, clinicians know how to recognize them and adapt their reaction speed to the situation.
This involves measuring the heart's electrical activity using electrodes glued to the patient's chest. It is usually the first trace, a green curve associated with a number of the same color, that appears on the monitor (or scope). This continuous measurement makes it possible to monitor the heart rate, i.e. the number of beats per minute (the pulse), as well as the trace itself, the shape of which may change in certain cases.
It is taken continuously, generally using a small clip that is placed on the finger or ear. It is used to monitor the patient's oxygenation and adjust oxygen intake to meet his or her needs. In the image above, this is the yellow curve and the associated number.
It can be taken discontinuously using a blood pressure cuff, or continuously using a catheter inserted into an artery in the wrist or groin. In the image above, the red curve and colored numbers represent blood pressure.