Clinical Alarms in intensive care: implications of alarm fatigue for the safety of patients

Authors

  • Adriana Carla Bridi Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro
  • Thiago Quinellato Louro Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro
  • Roberto Carlos Lyra da Silva Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1590/0104-1169.3488.2513

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: to identify the number of electro-medical pieces of equipment in a coronary care unit, characterize their types, and analyze implications for the safety of patients from the perspective of alarm fatigue. METHOD: this quantitative, observational, descriptive, non-participatory study was conducted in a coronary care unit of a cardiology hospital with 170 beds. RESULTS: a total of 426 alarms were recorded in 40 hours of observation: 227 were triggered by multi-parametric monitors and 199 were triggered by other equipment (infusion pumps, dialysis pumps, mechanical ventilators, and intra-aortic balloons); that is an average of 10.6 alarms per hour. CONCLUSION: the results reinforce the importance of properly configuring physiological variables, the volume and parameters of alarms of multi-parametric monitors within the routine of intensive care units. The alarms of equipment intended to protect patients have increased noise within the unit, the level of distraction and interruptions in the workflow, leading to a false sense of security.

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Published

2014-12-01

Issue

Vol. 22 No. 6 (2014)

Section

Original Articles

License

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Including names of authors whose contribution does not fit into the above criteria cannot be justified. Those names can be included in the Acknowledgements section.
 Authors are fully responsible for the concepts disseminated in their manuscripts, which do not necessarily reflect the editors’ and editorial board’s opinion.

 

How to Cite

Clinical Alarms in intensive care: implications of alarm fatigue for the safety of patients . (2014). Revista Latino-Americana De Enfermagem, 22(6), 1034-1040. https://doi.org/10.1590/0104-1169.3488.2513