Telemetry and EMS...

[smle]

In the old "Emergency" TV show, they used radio telemetry to send the ECG to the hospital, this was in the 1970's. Is this still used anywhere in the US? It seems like we have even better communication technology now. Would this still be a good idea? Or was it just a matter of keeping EMS providers under tighter medical control in the early days of field ACLS care?

[chbare]

Smle, systems do use telemetry. The purpose of telemetry is to speed up the delivery of definitive cardiac care. You can send the 12 lead to the ER doc to look at and potentially get the ball rolling faster on how the patient will be treated. I am not sure how effective this is, perhaps with a long transport it may be helpful for the er to have the 12 lead and start getting things ready for the cath lab or fibrinolytic therapy. We do not have it at our hospital, so I really do not know if it is truly helpful. You could Pub Med it for research data.

Take care,

chbare.

[Ace844]

Smle, systems do use telemetry. The purpose of telemetry is to speed up the delivery of definitive cardiac care. You can send the 12 lead to the ER doc to look at and potentially get the ball rolling faster on how the patient will be treated. I am not sure how effective this is, perhaps with a long transport it may be helpful for the er to have the 12 lead and start getting things ready for the cath lab or fibrinolytic therapy. We do not have it at our hospital, so I really do not know if it is truly helpful. You could Pub Med it for research data.

Take care,

chbare.

Some Zoll, Life Pac's, MRL's, etc.. have modems built in to them already, you just need to connect to a phone line and have the recieving facilties fax#. Although if your MD Con doesn't 'trust' you to be able to interpret a 12 lead appropriately, perhaps you shouldn't be doing them???? :munky2: :munky2: :munky2: :munky2: :munky2: :munky2: :munky2: Yet, it seems to me that if you are an ALS provider you would already know this and that would bring us back to you fishing for controversy AGAIN!!!!!

Out here,

ACE844

[ERDoc]

Here we can recieve 12 leads (from those that carry them) and rhythm strips. They can send them by cell phone modulator or over an 800mHz radio.

[chbare]

Ace844, I am not fishing for controversy, I do not have any real experience with telemetry. We do not have the capabilities for telemetry at our hospital.

Take care,

chbare.

[Ridryder 911]

I personally have not seen telemetry used since about 1978 and that was for a demonstration purpose only. In the region telemetry is taboo and thought as a waste of money. If your medics can not read and interpret rhythms, it is time for some new ones...

R/r 911

[chbare]

Ridryder 911, I agree. I think it would be easier and much more cost effective for the medic to do the 12 lead and report his/her findings. That is how it works at our hospital and I do not think care is delayed due to the lack of telemetry.

Take care,

chbare.

[paraloco]

Up until the early 90's, it was a state requirement to have the capability to transmit a strip. In the mid 80's, we were using the Motorola Apcor, which had an effective range of less than 4 miles. We then went to a device that allowed us to transmit over our portable radios. Shortly thereafter, those big, huge Motorola consoles in the ER nurses stations ( which were down more often than not) just kinda died & disappeared with a whimper. It wasn't until recently that we began transmitting 12 leads to the ER (and only if OUR interpretation indicated it) . This was part of a new program to reduce door to cath table time. It requires too many people to be on the same page at the same time ( cath lab, cardiologists, everything). It requires ALL the technology to be in working order (how often does that happen?)

[Ridryder 911]

Wow .. I am surprised of all the systems that use it.. I thought it was ancient history and no one used them anymore. Serious, we had one for demo only.. ( it came as a free grant w/monitor, so my boss took it for the monito) and it sat in the ER broom closet for about 10 years,turned on twice. I believe we sold the base station at a garage sale for about $10 and that was because it had a tape recorder and oscillope on it...still in the box...

R/r 911

[strippel]

Our LP12's have the BlueTooth modem. We send 12 leads (only those on patients who NEED a 12 lead ECG, and show evidence of an MI. The ER doc then calls the cardiologist, and the cath lab team in. All before (usually) we arrive at the hospital.