B Andrade-Méndez1, D O Arias-Torres2, L O Gómez-Tovar3. 1. Enfermero, Especialista en cuidado crítico, Magister en Enfermería, Docente asociado del programa de Enfermería, Coordinador de la especialización en Enfermería en Cuidado Crítico, estudiante doctorado en ciencias de la salud. Universidad Surcolombiana, Huila, Colombia. 2. Enfermera, Magister en Educación y Desarrollo Comunitario, Doctora en Ciencias de la Salud, Postdoctora / Estancia postdoctoral Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Docente titular, Coordinadora de Doctorado en Ciencias de la Salud, Coordinadora del grupo de investigación Cuidar. Universidad Surcolombiana, Huila, Colombia. 3. Enfermera, Magister en Enfermería, Docente asociada del programa de Enfermería, Estudiante de doctorado en Enfermería. Universidad Surcolombiana, Huila, Colombia. Electronic address: omaira.gomez@usco.edu.co.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To establish the presence of alarm fatigue, the clinical relevance of alarms and the stimulus-response time of the health team in an Adult Intensive Care Unit. METHOD: Descriptive, quantitative, observational study, developed in the Multipurpose Adult Intensive Care Unit. Population made up of health personnel and the ICU teams. The method used was non-participant observation. Follow-up was carried out over 120 hours in three months. The variables studied were number of alarms activated, time elapsed between the alert sound of the blood pressure parameter, heart rate and oximetry and the response of the health personnel who attended the alarm. A descriptive statistical analysis was carried out. RESULTS: 5,147 alarms were detected, on average 43 alarms / hour, of these 52.8% corresponded to multiparameter monitors and the rest to other equipment. Of those generated by multiparameter monitors, 37.3% were blood pressure, 33.4% oximetry and 29.3% heart rate. The clinical relevance was low in 42.7%, medium in 49.8% and high in 7.5%. The stimulus response time was between 0 and 60 seconds for 37% of the alarms; however, 42.5% had no response, which is why they are considered fatigued. A statistically significant relationship was found between the response time and the clinical relevance of the alarms (p = .000). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of alarm fatigue was evident; with predominance of clinical relevance in the middle and low ranges. The health personnel responded within the time established for timely attention to the non-fatigued alarms.
OBJECTIVE: To establish the presence of alarm fatigue, the clinical relevance of alarms and the stimulus-response time of the health team in an Adult Intensive Care Unit. METHOD: Descriptive, quantitative, observational study, developed in the Multipurpose Adult Intensive Care Unit. Population made up of health personnel and the ICU teams. The method used was non-participant observation. Follow-up was carried out over 120 hours in three months. The variables studied were number of alarms activated, time elapsed between the alert sound of the blood pressure parameter, heart rate and oximetry and the response of the health personnel who attended the alarm. A descriptive statistical analysis was carried out. RESULTS: 5,147 alarms were detected, on average 43 alarms / hour, of these 52.8% corresponded to multiparameter monitors and the rest to other equipment. Of those generated by multiparameter monitors, 37.3% were blood pressure, 33.4% oximetry and 29.3% heart rate. The clinical relevance was low in 42.7%, medium in 49.8% and high in 7.5%. The stimulus response time was between 0 and 60 seconds for 37% of the alarms; however, 42.5% had no response, which is why they are considered fatigued. A statistically significant relationship was found between the response time and the clinical relevance of the alarms (p = .000). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of alarm fatigue was evident; with predominance of clinical relevance in the middle and low ranges. The health personnel responded within the time established for timely attention to the non-fatigued alarms.
Keywords:
Alarmas clínicas; Alert Fatigue Health Personnel; Clinical Alarms; Critical Care; Cuidados críticos; Fatiga de alerta del personal de salud; Monitoreo fisiológico; Physiological monitoring