Propaq 104 EL Protocols

Propaq 104 ELs are a series of medical bedside monitors originally made by Protocol Systems. Because of a corporate acquisition, the monitors are now manufactured by Welch Allyn. Despite the change, distributors can get the appropriate monitor for you, whatever name you ask for it under. Different types of these monitors are used for acute care patients, outpatients, and even neonatal monitoring. Welch Allyn has continued the Propaq type monitors, but now manufactures them under an Encore 200 series. So a Protocol Propaq 104 EL is only available used. The Propaq Encore 204 EL is now the equivalent original equipment monitor, with the same functions and only a few cosmetic changes.

Uses

• There are monitors made for low-, medium- and high-acuity situations. Some are simple enough to be used with outpatients. The Propaq 104 and 204 EL are used primarily in clinical and emergency settings. They monitor electrocardiogram readings, pulse rate, respiration and carbon dioxide levels in the body. All Propaq monitors include one noninvasive blood pressure tool, a cuff. The 104 and 204 series provide one invasive blood pressure device, while the 106 and 206 have two invasive blood pressure reading devices. That is the sole difference in the standard equipment of the monitors.

Display

• The display screen on a Propaq EL 104 or 204 model shows all vital signs being monitored. As it is generally used for patients in emergency or critical care, it is designed to show all the vital signs it can monitor at the same time. It can be used less invasively as a patient improves and just display those functions you have set it for. When used in conjunction with optional modems or ethernet systems, the display can be hooked into a central location where multiple patient displays can be monitored simultaneously. An optional printer also offers the capacity to make a permanent record of a patient's vitals at a particular time.

Power

• The Propaq EL 104 and 204 are designed for and most often used with an alternating current system. Because the system covers the vital signs needed during transport of people in trauma, such as in an ambulance, the monitors can be operated on direct current, or DC, batteries such as a car battery. The monitor comes with a special AC adapter that allows a portable battery to be charged up for use in critical transportation.

Alarms

• Alarms on the Propaq 104 and 204 EL are set off any time a vital sign is outside the specified acceptable limits. When that happens, an alarm tone sounds and the light for the particular vital sign affected flashes red on the main monitor and the central monitor, if so equipped. If the monitor for a particular vital sign is disabled it will display a yellow light to indicate that it is not actively reading the vital sign. Medical personnel can temporarily disable monitoring for a period of 90 seconds or for four minutes while working on a patient or moving him. When temporary disabling is used, monitoring begins again automatically after the specified time period is reached.