Intraoperative indirect monitoring of electrocardiogram

The electrocardiogram (ECG) is used as a standard monitoring method during anesthesia and operation. But during the operation of severely burnt patients, the electrodes for ECG cannot be placed on the ideal points for the standard limb leads. We tried the indirect monitoring of the ECG. We placed the electrodes on the sheet over the operating table, and connected the patient and the electrodes with water. By this way the ECG similar to the standard limb leads could be recorded. This method is useful for the patients, with such diseases as severe burn, severe atopic dermatitis and epidermolysis bullosa hereditaria.