Emergency Patient Monitoring System for Cardiac Disorders

Nowadays, heart related diseases are on the rise. Cardiac arrest is quoted as the major contributor to sudden and unexpected death rate in the modern stress filled lifestyle around the globe. A system that warns the person about the onset of the disease earlier automatically will be a boon to the society. Remote patient monitoring is an alternative to regular home check-ups of patients with certain special medical conditions or the elderly who are unable to regularly visit a healthcare facility. This technology reduces the number of home visits which are now only required when special attention is needed. This paper presents the design and development of a patient monitoring system which monitors the cardiac activity of the patient. The system uses the standard Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) technology for communication. In case of emergency, an SMS is sent to the cellphone of the physician, who can arrange for quick and necessary treatment of the patient. The system has been tested for accuracy and quickness in communicating emergency conditions to the physician and is found to be working satisfactorily. Keywords-Electrocardiogram (ECG), Heart Rate, GSM, Wireless transmission.