DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF A PATIENT HEARTBEAT AND TEMPERATURE MONITOR
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Heartbeat rate means the number of beats per unit of time, usually expressed in beats per minute (bpm). The human heart pounds to pump oxygen-rich blood to the muscles and carry cell waste products away from the tissues. The heart rate can vary depending on demand of the muscles to absorb oxygen and excrete carbon dioxide changes, such as during exercise or sleep. It also varies considerably between individuals based on age, physical condition and genetics. This means that the heart has to beat faster to deliver more oxygen rich blood. During the exercise routines, heart rate gives a strong indication of the effectiveness of the exercise is to the body. The patient monitoring systems is one of the major improvements in the health care program in the world because of its advanced technology. A patient monitoring system measures the heart rate and body temperature using an integrated technology. This advancement in technology is very necessary because many patients in hospitals due to fever die and high heart attacks. The trend of cardiovascular disease has shown that the rate of heartbeat plays a key role in determining the possibility of a heart attack while an increase in body temperature can induce fever in a patient. Heart disease such as heart attack, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, and congenital heart disease are the leading causes of death for men and women in many countries. Most of the time, older people in society are more prone to problems of heart disease than younger. For people who live alone with no one to monitor their health, this device offers an opportunity for them to constantly monitor their health, it is developed to monitor and alert doctors on heart rate and temperature condition of a patient. It is designed to give patients health care in a timely and appropriate.