Improving alarm management to reduce alarm fatigue in critical care: a mixed-methods study.
Intensive care unit intervention cut red technical alarms by 61.1% despite more total alarms
Improving alarm management to reduce alarm fatigue in critical care: a mixed-methods study.
The excessive number of false alarms in the intensive care unit (intensive care unit) environment constitutes a significant clinical issue, contributing to alarm fatigue among medical staff.
This study aimed to conduct a quantitative analysis of alarms generated by cardiac monitors, assess intensive care unit staff attitudes toward the alarm system, and implement and evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention designed to improve alarm management in an anaesthesiology and intensive care unit.
The project employed an action research methodology.
red technical alarms fell sharply, easing alarm fatigue despite more alarms overall
Despite the overall increase in alarm volume, improvements were observed in the structure and classification of alarm.
Participant observation revealed high noise levels, selective staff responsiveness to alarms, and varied proficiency in monitor operation.
The staff confirmed that alarms were burdensome, caused fatigue, and had a negative impact on patient care.
Root cause analysis analysis revealed the absence of a comfort profile for palliative patients and identified issues with device configuration and technical artefacts.
Despite an overall increase in alarm frequency, the intervention led to an improvement in alarm quality. intensive care unit staff experience alarm fatigue, necessitating ongoing monitoring and support.
The lack of standardized alarm management protocols highlights the need for threshold standardization and a clear delineation of responsibilities. Interventions combining staff education with technical optimization are the most effective.