New US ambulatory electrocardiograph standard:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
The Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) in the US has released a revision of the Ambulatory Electrocardiographs American National Standard which focuses on minimum requirements for safety and effectiveness of ECG equipment. Approved by the American National Standards Institute, the revised ANSI/AAMI EC38 standard covers how to effectively obtain a cardiac rhythm signal from the surface of a patient's body and transmit the signal to a recording device. Updates to the document include changes to the sections pertaining to stationary equipment, defibrillator energy shunting and an expanded section on electromagnetic compatibility. It will be especially useful to device purchasers, says AAMI, because it provides a precise description of the characteristics and limitations of ambulatory ECG equipment.