Medical Information Bus usage for automated IV pump data acquisition: evaluation of usage patterns.
OBJECTIVE
To identify factors which influence the choice of nurses to use automated collection of i.v. pump data from a prototype Medical Information Bus.


METHODS
Observational study for a duration of three and one-half months.


METHODS
Four intensive care units, each with different missions, in an adult hospital.


METHODS
One hundred fifty-eight registered nurses including both full and part time.


RESULTS
Data were collected from the hospital information system about infusion orders including the type of medication, the number of rate changes, the method of documenting rate changes and the infusion methods. The method of documentation for infusion rate changes was defined as either automated, using a prototype Medical Information Bus (MIB), or manual, using the keyboard at a bedside computer terminal. The method of infusion was defined as either straight gravity feed without an i.v. pump ('no pump'), infusion using a pump but without connection to the hospital information system ('pump only') and infusion using a pump which was connected to the hospital information system using a prototype Medical Information Bus ('automated'). A total of 22,199 rate changes were documented during the study period and of those, 22,055 (99.35%) used the 'automated' method. Medications with the highest average rate change per single container were; Nitroprusside Sodium (9.50), Epinephrine (9.08) and Epoprostenol (7.50).


CONCLUSIONS
The nurses used automated i.v. pump data acquisition with medications which required frequent rate changes.
Dalto
J D
JD
LDS Hospital, Salt Lake City, Utah 84143, USA.
Johnson
K V
KV
Gardner
R M
RM
Spuhler
V J
VJ
Egbert
L
L
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003195:Computer Communication Networks; D003625:Data Collection; D001330:Electronic Data Processing; D006801:Humans; D007260:Infusion Pumps; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*