Wearable Cardiac Monitor Used by Two Rescue Work Trainees at a Simulated High Altitude to Prevent Excessive Work Load

抄録

　　We had previously experienced a case involving prolonged cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on Mt. Fuji (3,776 m), demanding strenuous work by the rescuers. The objective of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a wearable electrocardiogram (ECG) with 10 electrodes for the assessment of cardiac condition during exercise at hypobaric hypoxic environment. The traces of ECG during CPR action were obtained in a hypobaric chamber with barometric pressure adjusted to be equivalent to 3,700 m above sea level (630-640 hPa). Two volunteers performed CPR with or without breaths using a CPR mannequin. In a 3,700-m-equivalent environment, the percentage of recordings with clear signal qualities were 26% at V1 position, and 31% at V4 position, respectively. Although wearable ECG monitoring is still under development, removing electromyogram artefact may improve the signal quality and make the wearable 12-lead ECG monitoring useful in preventing cardiac problems at high altitudes and in wilderness environments.