METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETECTING ARTIFACT SIGNALS IN THE ELECTROCARDIOGRAM OF A PATIENT CAUSED BY CPR AND/OR PATIENT MOTION USING PATIENT IMPEDANCE

摘要

Medical apparatus for detecting the presence of artifact signals generated inthe electrocardiogram of a patient by CPR and/or other patient motion. Thepresence of artifact signals is determined by analyzing variations in ameasured electrical signal that represents the patient's transthoracicimpedance. Such detection is important because the presence of CPR and/ormotion artifacts can disrupt a patient's electrocardiogram (ECG) signal. Thepatient's impedance signal data is stored in the apparatus and analyzed todetermine if the characteristics are indicative of the presence of CPR and/ormotion artifacts. This analysis is performed independently of ECG data and maybe used as an indicator of the underlying ECG rhythm classification. Inessence, if the impedance exceeds some threshold amount, so as to indicate thepresence of CPR or patient motion which can render the ECG data unreliable,the normal interpretation of the ECG data is interrupted. Applications of theinvention include, but are not limited to, advising or not advising,defibrillation therapy, CPR or intravenous medicinal therapy.