Interventions to Reduce Monitor Alarms Across Pediatric Inpatient Settings: A Systematic Review.
Kathleen J Berg, Kori Hess, Megan Gripka et al.
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In 30 seconds
This systematic review evaluated interventions aimed at reducing alarm frequency from physiologic monitors in pediatric inpatient settings, including NICUs, PICUs, and MSUs. A total of 23 studies were analyzed, revealing that most interventions led to decreased alarm frequency, particularly for nonactionable alarms. The review highlights the need for improved alarm management strategies in pediatric care.
Key findings
- Most studies reported decreased alarm frequency after implementing interventions.
- All studies measuring nonactionable alarms reported decreases.
- Common interventions included staff education and customizing alarm parameters.
- The review included 16 quality improvement studies and 2 randomized controlled trials.
Why it matters
Excessive alarms in pediatric settings can lead to alarm fatigue, compromising patient safety. Understanding effective interventions can help clinicians implement strategies to enhance monitoring practices and improve patient outcomes.
What to keep in mind
Balancing measures were inconsistently reported, and there is a lack of standardized methodology for reviewing quality improvement studies.