Monitoring Patients with New Technology at PBMC

Nurses at Penobscot Bay Medical Center can monitor their patients' heart rates and rhythms more closely, thanks to cardiac telemetry.

As many as eight patients on the medical-surgical floor can be hooked up to individual telemetry units. If their heart activity changes, the medical staff can find out instantly, because the telemetry device sends a wireless signal to three places: a pager carried by the patient's nurse, a visual monitor at the nurses' station, and an identical monitor in the hospital's Special Care Unit (SCU).

"Since the SCU is part of the monitoring system, we can call upon their expertise with cardiac emergencies when necessary," said Chris LeBlanc, RNC, Nurse Manager, Med-Surg South.

Attached by electrodes on the patient's chest and body, the unit fits into the pocket of the hospital gown. So patients can move around freely while they are being monitored. Unlike a Holter monitor, where measurements are recorded and stored in the unit, this monitor is "live." The nurses are seeing the heart rhythms right as they are happening.

The patient's name and room number are displayed on the nurse's pager (as well as on the monitors), so as soon as the nurse hears or sees a signal – and the signals indicate the seriousness of the change in heart rhythm – he or she goes immediately to the patient's room.

"Another great advantage is that, if patients get up to walk, we can identify actions that trigger abnormal cardiac activity," said LeBlanc. "We relay that information to the physician, who can then make adjustments to medications, and order tests or procedures."