Hospitals find new ways to monitor patients 24/7

Hospitals are trying new early-warning systems to monitor patients for subtle but dangerous signs of a worsening condition. After surgery or during hospitalization for illness, patients are at risk for complications that can quickly turn fatal, such as a depressed breathing rate that can lead to cardiac arrest caused by over-sedation or an adverse reaction to narcotic pain medications. Patients can show signs of deterioration—known in medical terms as "decompensation"—as many as six to eight hours ahead of a cardiac or respiratory arrest, studies show. But the signs aren't always picked up or acted upon by staff. Patients on general medical and surgical floors are usually not monitored 24/7 unlike patients in intensive care units, who are hooked up to multiple machines and monitors. [Subscription Required]