A system for integrated ECG analysis and cardiac emergency care

During the past decades focus in the development of computerized medical devices was on implementation of device control and analysis programs providing measurements and decision support. Today, the focus has changed to information integration and communication. Continuing miniaturization of electronic equipment and increasing power of portable computers make possible to integrate various types of signal acquisition units (data loggers) and of sophisticated analysis software into notebook type computers. Large storage capacity as well as standardized communication interfaces allow the use of such systems in ambulatory scenarios (emergency care) or monitoring of patients at home. The system described in this paper has been particularly developed for acquisition and processing of various types of electrocardiagrams and includes a module for interactive cardiac risk assessment for decision support whether a patient should be referred to an intensive care unit.