content: <PAGE>
  
  
                         SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                               Washington, D.C. 20549
  
                              -------------------------
  
                                      Form 8-K
  
                                   CURRENT REPORT
  
                       Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
                           Securities Exchange Act of 1934
  
                                   August 22, 2001
                    --------------------------------------------
                                   Date of Report
                          (Date of earliest event reported)
  
                              DATA CRITICAL CORPORATION
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
  
            Delaware                      000-27855                91-1901482
  ----------------------------    ------------------------     -------------------
  (State or Other Jurisdiction    (Commission File Number)       (IRS Employer
       of Incorporation)                                       Identification No.)
  
                        19820 North Creek Parkway, Suite 100
                              Bothell, Washington 98011
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
  
                                   (425) 482-7000
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 Registrant's telephone number, including area code
  
  
  <PAGE>
  
  Item 5.  Other Events
  
           On August 22, 2001, the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal
  Trade Commission granted early termination of the waiting period required under
  the Hart Scott Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, or HSR
  Act, for applications related to the proposed merger of Data Critical with Ether
  Merger Corp., an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of General Electric Company,
  or GE.
  
           Copies of the Agreement and Plan of Merger among GE, Ether and Data
  Critical and Data Critical's press release announcing termination of the HSR Act
  waiting period are attached as Exhibits 2.1 and 99.1, respectively, and are
  incorporated herein by reference.
  
  Item 7.  Financial Statements and Exhibits
  
  (c)      Exhibits
  
           2.1   Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of July 19, 2001, by and
                 among General Electric Company, Ether Merger Corp. and Data
                 Critical Corporation (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.1 to
                 Data Critical's current report on Form 8-K filed on July 23,
                 2001)
  
           99.1  Press Release issued by Data Critical Corporation on August 30,
                 2001
  
  
  
  <PAGE>
  
                                      SIGNATURE
  
  Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
  registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
  undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
  
                                          DATA CRITICAL CORPORATION
  
  Dated:  August 31, 2001                 By /s/ Michael E. Singer
                                             -------------------------------------
                                             Michael E. Singer
                                             Executive Vice President and Chief
                                             Financial Officer
  
  
  <PAGE>
  
                                    EXHIBIT INDEX
  
  Exhibit Number   Description
  --------------   -----------
        2.1        Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of July 19, 2001, by
                   and among General Electric Company, Ether Merger Corp. and
                   Data Critical Corporation (incorporated by reference to
                   Exhibit 2.1 to Data Critical's current report on Form 8-K
                   filed on July 23, 2001)
  
       99.1        Press Release issued by Data Critical Corporation on August 30,
                   2001
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metadata_filer: {"company-data": {"conformed-name": "DATA CRITICAL CORP", "cik": "0000941775", "assigned-sic": "3670", "irs-number": "911901482", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "8-K", "act": "34", "file-number": "000-27855", "film-number": "1729761"}, "business-address": {"street1": "19820 N CREEK PKWY", "street2": "STE 100", "city": "BOTHELL", "state": "WA", "zip": "98011", "phone": "4254827000"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "19820 NORTH CREEK PARKWAY", "street2": "SUITE 100", "city": "BOTHELL", "state": "WA", "zip": "98011"}}
text: SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                               Washington, D.C. 20549
  
                              -------------------------
  
                                      Form 8-K
  
                                   CURRENT REPORT
  
                       Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
                           Securities Exchange Act of 1934
  
                                   August 22, 2001
                    --------------------------------------------
                                   Date of Report
                          (Date of earliest event reported)
  
                              DATA CRITICAL CORPORATION
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
  
            Delaware                      000-27855                91-1901482
  ----------------------------    ------------------------     -------------------
  (State or Other Jurisdiction    (Commission File Number)       (IRS Employer
       of Incorporation)                                       Identification No.)
  
                        19820 North Creek Parkway, Suite 100
                              Bothell, Washington 98011
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
  
                                   (425) 482-7000
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 Registrant's telephone number, including area code
  Item 5.  Other Events
  
           On August 22, 2001, the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal
  Trade Commission granted early termination of the waiting period required under
  the Hart Scott Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, or HSR
  Act, for applications related to the proposed merger of Data Critical with Ether
  Merger Corp., an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of General Electric Company,
  or GE.
  
           Copies of the Agreement and Plan of Merger among GE, Ether and Data
  Critical and Data Critical's press release announcing termination of the HSR Act
  waiting period are attached as Exhibits 2.1 and 99.1, respectively, and are
  incorporated herein by reference.
  
  Item 7.  Financial Statements and Exhibits
  
  (c)      Exhibits
  
           2.1   Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of July 19, 2001, by and
                 among General Electric Company, Ether Merger Corp. and Data
                 Critical Corporation (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.1 to
                 Data Critical's current report on Form 8-K filed on July 23,
                 2001)
  
           99.1  Press Release issued by Data Critical Corporation on August 30,
                 2001
  SIGNATURE
  
  Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
  registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
  undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
  
                                          DATA CRITICAL CORPORATION
  
  Dated:  August 31, 2001                 By /s/ Michael E. Singer
                                             -------------------------------------
                                             Michael E. Singer
                                             Executive Vice President and Chief
                                             Financial Officer
  EXHIBIT INDEX
  
  Exhibit Number   Description
  --------------   -----------
        2.1        Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of July 19, 2001, by
                   and among General Electric Company, Ether Merger Corp. and
                   Data Critical Corporation (incorporated by reference to
                   Exhibit 2.1 to Data Critical's current report on Form 8-K
                   filed on July 23, 2001)
  
       99.1        Press Release issued by Data Critical Corporation on August 30,
                   2001