Predictability of unplanned extubations

Acute life threatening events such as cardiac/respiratory arrests are often predictable in adults and children. However critical events such as unplanned extubations are considered as not predictable. This paper seeks to evaluate the ability of automated prediction systems based on feature space embedding and time series methods to predict unplanned extubations in paediatric intensive care patients. We try to exploit the trends in the physiological signals such as Heart Rate, Respiratory Rate, Systolic Blood Pressure and Oxygen saturation levels in the blood using signal processing aspects of a frame-based approach of expanding signals using a nonorthogonal basis derived from the data. We investigate the significance of the trends in a computerised prediction system. The results are compared with clinical observations of predictability. We will conclude by investigating whether the prediction capability of the system could be exploited to prevent future unplanned extubations. © 2014 IEEE.

A comparative study to evaluate surface microbial contamination associated with copper-containing and stainless steel pens used by nurses in the critical care unit

A clinical study was undertaken to compare the surface microbial contamination associated with pens constructed of either a copper alloy or stainless steel used by nurses on intensive care units. A significantly lower level of microbial contamination was found on the copper alloy pens. Copyright © 2011 by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.