Types of Blood Pressure Monitors for Accurate Readings

Blood pressure monitor

Do you know that high blood pressure is the risk factor for stroke and heart attack, vision loss and kidney diseases? This is why it is of top importance to know whether it is normal in your case. This is what a blood pressure monitor is for. It helps to get regular and accurate blood pressure readings and learn more about your health. And it is also important to choose the best blood pressure monitor.

Surgical Lights: from the Beginning up to This Day

surgical lights

Surgical light is also called operating light or a surgical lighthead. It is used to illuminate patient’s cavity or local area during the operation. In case a few surgical lights are used it is called a ‘surgical light system’.

The history of surgical lighting dates back to 1850s. The operating room had windows in the ceiling and was built towards the south-east. It was very inconvenient because the medical personnel or equipment could block the light, and the weather conditions could be unfavorable. Later on, the mirrors were placed on the corners of the ceiling so that they could reflect the light.

With the appearance of electric lights, the problem was partially solved. However, the first lights created great heat radiation and the emission of light was hardly controlled.

Types of Anesthesia Masks to Be Used during Surgical Interventions

anesthesia mask

Anesthesia is highly important during most surgeries in order to eliminate pain. In most cases physicians use general anesthesia that helps in making a person fall asleep, thus eliminating the slightest possibilities of movement.

For these purposes they use an anesthesia mask that carries air mixed with special medication. In fact, some patients even get a chance to choose their favorite scent in order to flavor the air that is flowing through a special mask. As soon as the medication is given, there aren’t any needs to make shots, while the patient is still awake.

When going to sleep some patients are willing to take off the mask. This is a usual reaction of most people. Some start gagging, coughing, complaining about the smell and even saying they cannot breathe. These are also the usual reactions. Normally, it takes up to 90 seconds before a person falls asleep.

Automated External Defibrillator for Cases of Sudden Cardiac Arrest

automated external defibrillator

It is a well-known fact that sudden cardiac arrest is one of the triggers of death of many people in the USA. The main problem is that this very condition can happen to anyone and at any age. No one is protected. No one’s safety is ever guaranteed. An automated external defibrillator (AED) is a reliable device used for restoration of a regular heart rhythm. As it is easy to operate, it can be effectively used both by people with medical background and those without one.

This is a lightweight and portable device, which works delivering an electric shock through the chest and right to the heart. The method allows a normal heart rhythm to resume. Want to know more?

What Is Telemetry Monitoring: Principles of Monitoring the Heart Activity

telemetry monitor

Telemetry monitoring is a common practice of observing the electrical activity of a patient’s heart, which involves watching and analyzing data received distantly from its source. For this purpose, special telemetry equipment is used, particularly a telemetry monitor, which is a kind of a portable box (transmitter) that is attached to you, and whose main advantage is monitoring the patient’s heart rate and rhythm distantly within the monitor’s transmitting range, allowing the patient get up and move around, instead of just being confined to the bed.

In the context of cardiac monitoring, telemetry monitoring system is very advantageous for many patients, and is particularly valuable for patients going through a physical rehabilitation process, without interfering into the process. Telemetry monitoring allows a patient, who has to move a lot in order to recover fast, to pursue the recovery effectively, leveling down the need for his/her healthcare team consisting of technicians and nurses continuously monitoring your heart rate & rhythm and informing your doctor about your progress to give up the ability to monitor the hospital patient’s heart activity. So, how does this practice work in real?

Laparoscopic Instruments for Minimally Invasive Surgeries: Access & Exposure Equipment vs. Surgical Instruments

laparoscopic instruments

Laparoscopic surgery, or laparoscopy, also called a keyhole surgery, minimally invasive surgery (MIS), or bandaid surgery, is a modern surgical procedure that involves operations, such as inspection or diagnosing a certain health condition or surgical treating the abdominal or pelvis cavity through small incisions using special laparoscopy equipment and instruments. Laparoscopic surgery is more popular in the medical practice as it is more advantageous than any open surgical technique, and unlike the latter it includes shorter recovery time, reduced hemorrhaging and pain due to smaller incisions (0.5-1.5 cm). And all this thanks to laparoscope, which is the main element in any laparoscopic surgery. There are two common types of laparoscopes encountered by surgeons:

  • laparoscope with a telescopic rod lens system (attached to a video camera, single-CCD or three-CCD);
  • digital laparoscope (a tiny charge-coupled camera is connected to the laparoscope’s end).

Electric Blanket: Reviews and Description

electric blanket reviews

Electric blanket until the 1950s was called ‘a warming pad’ or ‘heated quilt’. In the US it is a blanket having integrated electrical heating, and it is placed above the top bed sheet. In other English-speaking countries the term ‘electric blanket’ refers to electric mattress pad placed under the bed sheet. Electric blanket is used to pre-heat the bed before sleep or keep it warm during use. The heating element or an insulated wire is inserted into the fabric. The temperature can be regulated with the control unit.

Electric heating blanket was invented in 1900s. It was big and bulky, and it did not resemble the ones we use today. Since 1920s electric blankets have been widely used in tuberculosis sanitariums. The patients were prescribed to spend a lot of time outdoors, including sleeping. That is why they needed something to keep them warm while sleeping outside.

All You Need to Know About Infant Warmers

infant warmer

A newborn baby experiences thermal instability after delivery. The temperature of mother’s womb is higher than the air temperature of the delivery room. It is vital to prevent the fall in infant’s temperature as it can even increase the mortality risk.

It is necessary to provide immediate infant warming right after delivery as a baby has four times bigger capacity to loss of heat than a grown-up. Its temperature can fall by 1-2°C over 30 minutes. If a newborn baby loses heat rapidly, it leads to a phenomenon called ‘cold stress’. Oxygen consumption and metabolism increase, and this can even lead to hypoxia. Powerful, safe, and controlled radiant warming reduces cold stress and prevents the baby from further negative effects.

Veterinary anesthesia machine

veterinary anesthesia equipment

Inhalation anesthesia method is based on vapor or gas anesthetics inhalation. Filling the body with them is done by the anesthetics diffusion through the alveoli which depends on concentration, type of anesthetics, their solubility in blood and flesh, circulatory and breathing conditions.

Inhalation anesthesia is more controlled; it can be characterized by distinct anesthesia stages. Inhalation anesthesia can be produced by several methods, and, therefore, different veterinary anesthesia systems are used.

While holding open circuit anesthesia the anesthetic is inserted into animal’s lungs together with the air. The exhalation is done into the air ( Esmarch mask).

What Is Cardiac Monitor? How Does It Work?

what is a cardiac monitor

The vast majority of cardiac monitors are electrical devices attached to a patient. The place where electrodes are placed is usually cleaned and shaved thoroughly. In some cases an arm cuff is used as well, when the blood pressure is monitored.

Such monitors provide a visual display of the patient’s parameters. Some of them are set to sound an alarm in case any of the parameters changes outside of the range that is determined by a physician.

 
There is a whole set of different parameters, including:

  • electrocardiogram
  • arterial blood oxygen saturation
  • cardiac output
  • intravascular pressures
  • noninvasive blood pressure
  • blood temperature

The equipment that is generally required for continuous monitoring includes the cardiac monitor and cables, pressure transducers and electrode patches, arterial blood saturation probes and a pulmonary artery catheter.

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