Monday, April 8, 2013

"Alarm Fatigue" Poses Patient Risk: The Joint Commission

The Joint Commission Sentinel Event Alert:  Medical Device Alarm Safety In Hospitals.  The Joint Commission.  April 8, 2013.

There may be tens of thousands of medical device alarms in a hospital during a day.  While between 85 and 99 percent do not require clinical intervention, there is a continuing danger of "alarm fatigue" by virtue of the vast numbers.  Approximately 80 deaths, 13 permanent loss of function, and five incidents of additional care needed resulted from alarm-related incidents between 2009 and 2012.  The original report linked here contains ten recommendations to reduce alarm-related incidents.

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