GE b30, User'S Reference Manual

Page: 75 / 242

Alarms
4-3
Alarm categories
The alarms are classified into three categories according to the priority: HIGH PRIORITY/RED
ALARM, MEDIUM PRIORITY/YELLOW ALARM, and LOW PRIORITY/WHITE NOTE (white color).
NOTE: Asystole and ventricular fibrillation alarms are always high priority alarms.
The priority of an alarm depends primarily on the cause and the duration (generally minimum
20 seconds) of the alarm condition, the priority increasing with the duration and according to
the physiological significance. Thus, for example, brady advances rapidly to high priority,
whereas apnea is allowed a slightly longer duration.
The monitor has three options for alarm tones and patterns: ISO, ISO2, and General. The ISO2
and ISO patterns are very similar. The difference is the rising sound of the tone pattern. The
following frame colors and tones identify the alarm categories:
Table 4-1 ISO pattern
Table 4-2 ISO2 pattern
Visual Tone pattern Meaning Side panel
LEDs
Alarm light
(if enable)
Red Rising double
beep every 5 seconds
(except the second tone
pattern which is
produced 1 second
after the first one)
-- 5 -- 5 -- For life threatening
situations. High
priority alarm. red LED
flashing flashing red
Yellow Triple beep every 19
seconds
-- 19 -- 19 -- For serious but not
life threatening
problems. Medium
priority alarm. yellow LED
flashing flashing
yellow
White Single beep
- Advisory note. It
may be equipment
related like ‘Leads
off’. Low priority
alarm. yellow LED lit lit
yellow
Visual Tone pattern Meaning
Red Rising double beep every 5
seconds (except the second tone
pattern which is produced 1
second after the first one) For life threatening situations. High priority
alarm.
Yellow Triple beep every 19.5 seconds For serious but not life threatening problems.
Medium priority alarm.
White Single beep
- Advisory note. It may be equipment related
like ‘Leads off’. Low priority alarm.
5 5
19,5 19,5