Configuring a New Alarm Reason

This topic describes the steps for configuring a new alarm reason.

Alarm reasons are configured in HL7Receiver channel in ‘RequiredAlarmReason_Event’ variable. In Mindray, the alarm reasons come in the form of an event in HL7. The same alarm event cannot be sent to the client as it is neither enunciable nor understandable in client. A sample alarm event is shown below.

"MDC_EVT_HI_VAL_GT_LIM","MDC_EVT_LO_VAL_LT_LIM","MNDRY_EVT_VAL_OUTSIDE_LIM","MDC_EVT_APNEA","MNDRY_EVT_ECG_ST_SINGLE","MNDRY_EVT_ECG_ST_DUAL","MDC_EVT_ECG_ASYSTOLE","MDC_EVT_ECG_BIGEM","MDC_EVT_ECG_SINUS_BRADY","MDC_EVT_ECG_RHY_CPLT","MDC_EVT_ECG_CARD_BEAT_RATE_IRREG","MDC_EVT_ECG_PAUSE"……

In order to handle this, the real alarm reason (expanded form) of the corresponding event needs to be added in a variable called ‘RequiredAlarmReason_Expansion’.

"High threshold exceeded","Low threshold exceeded","Value Outside limits","Apnea","ST Single","ST Dual","Asystole","Bigeminy","Bradycardia","Couplet","Irregular Heart Rate","Pause","High PVC","Run (VT > 2)","Trigeminy","V-Fib","V-Rhythm","V-Tach","V-Fib/V-Tach","Vent. Brady","Extreme Tachycardia","Extreme Bradycardia”…..

Also there are few alarm events that come in HL7 such as “MDC_EVT_HI_VAL_GT_LIM", "MDC_EVT_LO_VAL_LT_LIM", "MNDRY_EVT_VAL_OUTSIDE_LIM”. These alarm events give the limit of alarm but actual alarm reason is given in the next OBX segment. These alarm reasons in the form of events are added in a variable called ‘ObservationCode’. Also more alarm reasons can be added to this array.

"MDC_ECG_HEART_RATE","MDC_TTHOR_RESP_RATE","MDC_ECG_V_P_C_RATE","MNDRY_ECG_PAUSE_RATE","MNDRY_ECG_VPB_RATE","MNDRY_ECG_COUPLETS_RATE"

The expanded name of these alarm reasons are added in a variable called ‘ObservationCode_Expansion’

"HR","RR","PVCs/min","Pauses/min","VPBs/min","Couplets/min","Missed Beats/min","PNCs/min","PNPs/min","RonTs/min","Global QT-Interval Current","Global QT-Interval Reference”

In order to configure an alarm reason as mentioned above, perform the following steps:

Note: If a user is interested in configuring only a few alarm reasons such as APNEA and ASYSTOLE, then the above array will be as follows:

var RequiredAlarmReason_Event = [ "MDC_EVT_HI_VAL_GT_LIM", "MDC_EVT_LO_VAL_LT_LIM", "MDC_EVT_AL_LIMIT", "MDC_EVT_APNEA", "MDC_EVT_ECG_ASYSTOLE"];

var RequiredAlarmReason_Expansion = ["High threshold exceeded", "Low threshold exceeded", "Value Outside limits","Apnea", "Asystole"];

The remaining two arrays ObservationCode and ObservationCode_Expansion will be the same as defined.

More alarm reasons can be added at the end of an array.