Patient characteristics and monitor alarms in a cardiac ICU: A retrospective cross-sectional study
Authors' conclusion
Routinely available patient characteristics were associated with selected alarm patterns, but the findings are hypothesis-generating.
Study context
- Population
- Patients in a cardiac surgical ICU, Helsinki University Hospital, over 4 consecutive weeks
- Participants
- 81 patients
- Outcome
- Patient monitor alarm burden and association of routinely available patient characteristics with alarm frequency, type and duration
Methodological detailssingle-centre, negative-binomial regression
- Single-centre
- Negative-binomial regression
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Alarm burden and associated patient characteristics
- Total alarms
- 45,044
- Median alarm rate, alarms per patient per hour [range as printed]
- 6.8 [4.8 to 10.8]
- Older age: fewer alarms
- IRR 0.90 (95% CI 0.83 to 0.98, P < 0.05)
- ASA 5: more low-ETCO2 alarms
- IRR 9.05 (95% CI 3.37 to 27.88, P < 0.05)
- Smoking: more low invasive BP alarms
- IRR 1.94 (95% CI 1.05 to 3.90, P < 0.05)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Secondary outcomes
Alarm rates vs two previous studies with identical monitors in other units
- Alarm rates similar across 3 clinically different units
Original publication
Patient characteristics and monitor alarms in a cardiac ICU: A retrospective cross-sectional study. J Clin Monit Comput. Published 29 August 2026. doi:10.
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