Propaq Critical Care Monitor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Propaq 200 series are portable, rechargeable and robust critical care monitors, used to monitor a range of vital signs and additional physiological parameters in all seriously-ill patients carried by the RFDS.

The 200 series has advanced monitoring features over the base level Propaq Vital Signs Monitor. They are battery-operated but can also be plugged into DC or Mains Power.  Ours will opearate on both the 28V aeromedical power outlets in all of our aircraft, as well as road ambulance 12V DC.

 The 200 Series monitor is used to monitor the following parameters:

• Heart rate (through ECG or oximetry)
• Blood pressure - non-invasive (automatic, using a BP cuff)
• Oxygen saturation (a measure of the oxygen level in the blood)
• Electrocardiogram - the electrical rhythm of a patient's heart
• Respiratory rate
• Temperature
• End-tidal CO2 (capnometry in ventilated patients)
• Invasive pressure (from arterial or central venous lines)

End-tidal CO2 monitoring is essential for adjusting the rate and depth of artificial ventilation to ensure the patient's arterial CO2 level is closely maintained at an appropriate level for the duration of transport. 

Invasive pressure monitoring allows our medical teams to obtain a highly accurate beat by beat measure of arterial blood pressure through a cannula inserted directly into an artery.  Such measures are more reliable than a standard cuff applied to the arm, particularly in patients with low blood pressure and with the vibrations of the transport environment which can often produce artifacts with other measurement techniques.

The Propaq can be programmed with a wide variety of alarms to warn staff of abnormal physiological parameters.Our experience with this equipment over nearly 15 years has shown it to be rugged, accurate and dependable in the emergency and air transport setting.

Approximate cost: $25,000