the Arteriograph 24

The heart of the matter Kathleen Armstrong Tuesday, 11 October 2011 Kathleen Armstrong looks at developments in cardiac patient monitoring that are improving both the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The market for cardiac patient monitoring devices market is growing, driven by unhealthy lifestyles, an ageing population, and the consequent increase in cardiovascular disease (CVD). But the main reason is growth in the demand for easy-to-use, patient-friendly devices that enable rapid and robust diagnoses of CVD, according to a recent report from Frost & Sullivan1. Robert Clark, general manager of Draeger UK, says one of the major advances is the improvement in networking and the delivery of information. All of its patient monitoring devices are WiFi-enabled so patients can be monitored from wherever there is WiFi access in the trust. Draeger’s Infinity M300 is a telemetry device which is worn by the patient and continues to communicate with a trust’s network via the Infinity CentralStation wherever the patient is in the hospital. It means the patient can continued to be monitored when they go to the physiotherapist or for tests. “This gives the patient more flexibility and, because it continues to monitor them, it can catch the episode that you want to capture,” Clark says. At Derriford Hospital in Plymouth, where the trust uses Draeger’s Infinity Omega solution, patients are equipped with the telemetry device for a 24-hour assessment. Because the information has been gathered without a break and is captured online, where it can be accessed by the cardiologist, the patient no longer has to undergo a second session of monitoring when they go to the cardiologist. “Hospitals are now re-thinking their care processes,” Clark comments. Unimedic’s Arteriograph is a groundbreaking technology that has advanced the way cardiac monitoring is undertaken. Using a non-invasive catherisation method with the help of a single arm cuff, the Arteriograph takes two minutes to measure individual cardiovascular risk and evaluate the efficiency of applied therapy. The device provides information on central and peripheral blood pressure, endothelial function, arterial stiffness, arterial/heart age and cardiac fitness at the same time, showing the effects of cardiovascular risk factors on the arteries. Unimedic’s Arteriograph measures individual cardiovascular risk and evaluates the efficiency of applied therapy within two minutes In mid-September the company also launched the Arteriograph 24, an ambulatory device which will enable central blood pressure and arterial stiffness to be monitored over a 24-hour period. The device is the more-advanced version of the most accurate (BHS AA validated) and best value for money ambulatory blood pressure monitor on the market, the TensioDay ABPM, which comes with a professional software package. It is an idea solution for practices wanting to comply with the recommendations of the new NICE Hypertension Guideline for diagnosing high blood pressure. TensioDay ABPM helps practices to comply with new NICE guidelines for diagnosing high blood pressure 13 July 2011 Draeger UK Unimedic Welch Allyn Deltex