Bedside computers in the surgical intensive care unit.
User "friendly" computers are becoming available for increased usage in the medical arena. The Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) has a large number of items to identify, quantify, manage, and record frequently, often on a continuing basis. At the Palo Alto Veterans Hospital, a program has been developed (A.S.) to change ventilator requirements as an aid to medical staff. Fewer laboratory studies such as blood gas determinations are required. Trending of information is critical in making appropriate plans of care. Twenty patients with a variety of surgical problems have been evaluated by utilizing a bedside computer.
D003658:Decision Making, Computer-Assisted; D001330:Electronic Data Processing; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008838:Microcomputers; D011182:Postoperative Care