Alarm Design in Computerized Medical Equipment

Abstract

Alarms are frequently employed in safety-critical environments such as in aviation and nuclear power plants. Now that microcomputer technology has revolutionized the design of patient monitors for use in modern hospital operating rooms (ORs) and intensive care units (ICUs), alarms are used in countless medical products ranging from infusion pumps to ventilators. This is especially true in anesthesia/surgical and critical care environments. In this chapter we examine the use of alarms in the acute care clinical environment, focusing on their strengths and limitations in the setting of patient monitoring equipment.