Journal of clinical monitoring
-
The objective of this study was to determine the accuracy of a near-patient blood gas and electrolyte analyzer when used by non-laboratory-trained clinicians in the critical care setting. ⋯ The test instrument is accurate and reproducible when used in the clinical setting by non-laboratory-trained individuals. Non-laboratory-trained individuals can obtain laboratory results in the near-patient setting comparable to those obtained by trained laboratory technologists.
-
Define the ranges for normal vital signs during general anesthesia. ⋯ Clinicians recognize ranges for vital signs during uneventful anesthesia. These CORs may differ from one stage of anesthesia to the next. Transgressions of these ranges are common. Not all transgressions are treated.
-
We wished to determine whether the individual bias (mean difference) and precision (standard deviation of the difference) values of 2 variables, arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2) and mixed venous oxygen saturation (SvO2), could be used to predict the bias and precision values of the combined dual oximetry variable (SaO2-SvO2). ⋯ The bias of a (SaO2-SvO2) measurement method is simply the bias of the SaO2 measurement method less the bias of the SvO2 measurement method. s delta(SaO2-SvO2) is best predicted by the derived equation, RMS error with correction term. The same principles and equations also apply to other situations in which 2 variables with the same dimensions are combined into 1 variable, such as (PaCO2-EtCO2) gradients and perfusion-pressure gradients. Although the difference between the s delta(SaO2-SvO2) predicted by the RMS error equation and the derived RMS error equation with correction term was small, the difference may be significant for other combined variables.
-
Case Reports
The detection of peripheral venous pulsation using the pulse oximeter as a plethysmograph.
The pulse oximeter can serve as a sensitive photoelectric plethysmograph in the operating room. It was noted in several cases that the plethysmographic waveform showed a high degree of variability during diastole. ⋯ Further investigation revealed that these diastolic peaks appear to correlate with peripheral venous pulsation, which seems to have a central venous origin. Evidence is presented that the plethysmographic detection of the venous-pulse may be useful in estimating the changing volume status of the patient.
-
Pulse oximetry appears to improve quality of care by the early detection of hypoxia noninvasively. We tested the hypothesis that the widespread use of pulse oximetry over a 5-year period in the operating rooms at our institution had resulted in a reduction in blood gas measurements and in departmental operating costs. ⋯ The total cost to provide oximetry, capnography, and blood gas measurements in 1989-1990 was less than the cost to provide blood gas measurements alone in 1985-1986. The introduction of these technologies was accomplished without an increase in cost: $76,880 in 1985-1986 versus $71,025 in 1989-1990.