I was recently involved in planning the infrastructure of a new ICU. Usually the ICUs utilize two separate networks: One for the monitoring equipment (plus ventilators, infusion pumps etc) and one for the hospital network (electronic charts, X-rays etc.).
Some of the newer patient monitors have access to both networks so you can look at lab results and the X-rays at the bedside.
Apart from this, both networks are completely separated.
30% of all patients are colonized with Staph aureus. A subset of all those patients colonized with Staph aureus will harbor a special strain of Staph aureus called MRSA (methicillin resistant staph. aureus).
If you currently use nose swabs and culture to test all your patients for MRSA, by using this device you can reduce the number of swabs/cultures needed by 70% (and possibly reduce costs). You will also increase the pre-test probability of a given patient being positive when tested by swab.
I think that is the rationale for using that device.
CR
Slashdot Mirror
I was recently involved in planning the infrastructure of a new ICU. Usually the ICUs utilize two separate networks: One for the monitoring equipment (plus ventilators, infusion pumps etc) and one for the hospital network (electronic charts, X-rays etc.). Some of the newer patient monitors have access to both networks so you can look at lab results and the X-rays at the bedside. Apart from this, both networks are completely separated.
The authors are far more cautious in their interpretation than some of the /. readers...but then this is not that much of a surprise.
PDF (a few MBs) http://www.pubmedcentral.gov/picrender.fcgi?artid= 1253627&blobtype=pdf
I checked Pubmed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ for pertinent papers. One that I found using "Wells F" as the search term was: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd= Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=1253724 4&query_hl=13
Dont know if that is the same guy, though.
30% of all patients are colonized with Staph aureus. A subset of all those patients colonized with Staph aureus will harbor a special strain of Staph aureus called MRSA (methicillin resistant staph. aureus). If you currently use nose swabs and culture to test all your patients for MRSA, by using this device you can reduce the number of swabs/cultures needed by 70% (and possibly reduce costs). You will also increase the pre-test probability of a given patient being positive when tested by swab. I think that is the rationale for using that device. CR