The Top 5 Patient Monitoring Devices for Doctors

Patient monitoring devices are used by healthcare professionals to monitor patients' vital signs. And the top 5 devices include blood pressure cuffs, pulse oximeters, weight scales, thermometers, and ECG monitors. Read on to learn more!

Thermometers

Let's start off with the humble thermometer which we provide at an excellent price! It is great for home use and in hospital settings, the first real medical thermometer was invented by Sir Thomas Allbut in 1867. It was 6 inches long and took about five minutes to take a person’s temperature! Before this there was the thermoscope which only measured the broad change in temperature such as something becoming hotter & overtime and after the Second World War, thermometers with infrared technology were developed and are what we use to this day! They are crucial in finding out a patient's temperature with the varied range between 36C-37.2C or more and a fever??being 37.8C or higher!

Pulse Oximeter

A pulse oximeter is an electronic device that measures oxygen saturation levels in the blood. It's often used as part of a medical procedure called pulse oximetry. This test helps determine how well the body is functioning. They're also used to check the oxygenation level of newborn babies.

Blood Pressure Monitor

Blood pressure monitors consists of an inflatable cuff and a monitor that measures the pressure of the cuff, which is wrapped around your arm, roughly at the level of your heart. The monitor would measure two types of pressure: systolic and diastolic. It's a simple way of finding out if somebody's blood pressure is too high or too low!

ECG Monitor

An electrocardiogram (ECG) monitor is an electronic device that records electrical activity of the heart. It's often used to diagnose arrhythmias, abnormal rhythms of the heart. People are also able to use portable ECG monitors at home to check their heart rate and rhythm and use that data to discuss any symptoms or patterns with a doctor.? Electrodes are put on the chest to record the heart's electrical signals, which in turn cause the heart to beat. The signals are shown as waves on an connected computer monitor or printer.

Weight Scale

A weight scale can be used to measure the mass of any object. There are two types, digital and analog. Both have their own pro's & con's. They are essential to know how healthy or vulnerable your patients are with Body Mass Index (BMI) for example, whilst going through recovery or anything else. Baby scales are specialized for weighing babies weights.

Digital Pro's

• Easily reads the weight from 1-999 grams
• Instantly displays the weight
• No need to calibrate like Analog scales

Con's

• Can't weigh items less than 1 gram
• Can't weigh larger than 999 grams
• Factors like humidity, temperature, altitude, calibration, and even location may display inaccurate metrics

Analog Pro's

• Can weigh items less than 1 gram
• Can weigh items more than 999 grams
• More accurate and lasts longer than digital

Con's

• Takes time to get accurate reading
• Can't instantly display the weight
• The chances of error are more when calibration is not done frequently.