Frequency of false electrocardiogram alarms in the intensive care unit/coronary care unit

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Title Frequency of false electrocardiogram alarms in the intensive care unit/coronary care unit
Publication Type thesis
School or College College of Nursing
Department Nursing
Author Ellstrom, Kathleen E.
Date 1984-06
Description The purpose of this study was to determine how often a false electrocardiogram (ECG) alarm occurred in an intensive care unit (ICU) or coronary care unit (CCU). Nine patients were monitored for 12-1/2 hours. The false alarms that occurred were documented and the cause was noted. Five patients were male with a mean age of 64 years, and four were female with a mean age of 57. Two patients were studied in the Respiratory (RICU), two in the Thoracic (TICU), and five in the CCU. The investigator studied whether a monitor could be developed that would be able to decrease the false alarm frequency by using a multiple ECG signal system, or a multiple physiologic signal system with the addition of an arterial pressure waveform. Fourteen false alarms occurred during the monitoring period with one true alarm. The frequency of false alarms was 4.2 in the RICU, 12.6 in the TICU, and 10.5 in the CCU; showing a much higher rate of false alarms per patient in the RICU. The frequency of false alarms could have been reduced by 60% with the addition of a multiple ECG signal system. Use of a multiple physiologic signal system however, would eliminate all of the false alarms and, therefore, would be a better system. No monitor that utilizes such a system has been developed, but it would be a great benefit to reduce the stress and noise level in the ICU/CCU.
Type Text
Publisher University of Utah
Subject Electrocardiography; Coronary care units
Subject MESH Electrocardiography; Coronary Care Units; Intensive Care Units; Monitoring, Physiologic
Dissertation Institution University of Utah
Dissertation Name MS
Language eng
Relation is Version of Digital reproduction of "Frequency of false electrocardiogram alarms in the intensive care unit/coronary care unit". Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library.
Rights Management © Kathleen E. Ellstrom.
Format application/pdf
Format Medium application/pdf
Format Extent 4,605,671 bytes
Identifier undthes,4157
Source Original: University of Utah Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library (no longer available)
Master File Extent 4,605,759 bytes
ARK ark:/87278/s6zs2zdv
Setname ir_etd
ID 191683
Reference URL https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6zs2zdv
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