Cardiac Monitors Search, PLEASE GIVE THOUGHTS

[DixieEMS12]

I am the Logistics/Training Coord and active road medic at a rural ems agency. We are looking at the different monitors in search to replace our current LP12's. We've always been a Physio agency. I current have a Philips MRx going around and have also be shown the Zole E-series and the LP15. I like the philips from both side of the fence. Administratively, the service options with the overnighting a loaner while the monitor gets bench tested and ofcourse the lower cost. From the field medic side, the capnography is great and the real-time running 12-lead view is nice. Not a real fan of Zole anyways because of there small screens. I know they build there monitors to be compact so you can carry it in on calls. But, we have a 45min-an hr and half transport times, so we usually don't carry the monitor in. Zole does have a nice spill on there defib technology and how the constant current delivery is better than a peak in current like the others. Than theres physio saying that they offer the extra joules by going beyond 200 for bigger pts. Plue there LP15 is got some durbility even with the cables. But how is the actual monitor perform. Is it any better than the 12. Please respond with your takes on this.

 

[lawndartcatcher]

Re: Cardiac Monitors Search

We field tested all three manufacturers in my service before going with the LP 15s; some stuff we found:
1) From what I understand, our Zoll guy was kind of unresponsive; you'd think that with this kind of money we'd have gotten a little warmer response. If this is the response we're getting when we say "We'd like to give you some money" what will their response be when you say "We're having a problem with our new monitors"? In the past we had used Zoll (CCTs) and the biggest thing we found was that the disposables are frighteningly expensive. Quick combo pads, EKG pads, and capnography supplies are really, really expensive (we also switched form AutoPulses to Lucas devices but that's a topic for another thread). We also had a problem with noisy EKG data (12 and 3 lead) which was supposedly because of the patient cables we were using. I'm also not really thrilled with the way the printer feeds - if you tear the paper off the wrong way it'll jam the next time you go to use it (Zoll uses that folded pre-perforated stuff and it's easy to tear it off right at the rollers). Their data is also stored on proprietary cards that we could never really get to work right, so transferring case data over to our ePCR software was difficult if not impossible at times.
2) We field tested the Philips MRx on both of our front line (ALS) units; within 1 call both teams had taken it off the truck. The EKGs were really noisy, even with the patient holding perfectly still in a non-moving truck. The field case is a nightmare - trying to hit any of the buttons arranged along the bottom is difficult with the case in place, and trying to get anything out of the side pockets required you to take the case half apart. We went to use the disposable thermometer and it kept falling off the (warm, dry) patient - this was an adhesive pad fresh out of the package!
3) We ended up testing and purchasing the LP15s - much cleaner signal, nice big display, friendlier interface than either the Zoll or Phillips monitors. We also transmit data wirelessly (via bluetooth) to our ePCR software, so we can attach 3 and 12 lead EKGs to our runs. Their field case still requires you to take the bottom half off to replace batteries, though. It's heavier than the Zoll and about the same weight and bulk as the Philips. It's withstood a lot of abuse with no problems - personally, i'd suggest going with the LP15s.