Decreasing False Alarms by Obtaining the Best Signal and Minimizing Artifact from Physiological Sensors.

Frank E. Block Jr., MD, is a research professor in the Departments of Physics and Astronomy and a Faculty Fellow of the Vanderbilt Institute for Integrative Biosystems Research and Education at Vanderbilt University, and Research Professor of Anesthesiology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He also is a part-time professor of Anesthesiology at Georgia Regents University. E-mail: frankjr@ blockzoo.com False alarms are all too common in medical monitoring. Although caregivers commonly blame the monitor manufacturer, many problems can be prevented by careful and knowledgeable placement of the appropriate sensors. Certainly, improved front-end monitor design and improved algorithms for artifact rejection and signal processing will be helpful; however, caregivers can take measures to obtain a cleaner and improved input signal. Many caregivers have never been properly instructed in the correct way to apply monitoring sensors. Part of the blame may lie with the healthcare facility and part with the manufacturers, who have failed to inform users on how to get an optimal signal. In this article, we have drawn on our own experience and that of others to compile these suggestions.