title: Daily electrode change and effect on cardiac monitor alarms: an evidence-based practice approach.
abstract: Frequent monitor alarms are distracting and interfere with clinicians performing critical tasks. This article describes a quality improvement rapid-cycle change approach to explore the benefits of changing electrodes daily on the number of cardiac monitor alarms. Eight days of baseline and intervention data were compared for 2 adult acute care units. Average alarms per bed per day were reduced by 46% on both units. Daily electrocardiogram electrode change reduces the number of cardiac monitor alarms.
authors.affiliation: The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA. mcvach@jhmi.edu
authors.forename: Maria M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Cvach
authors.forename: Madalyn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Biggs
authors.forename: Kathleen J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Rothwell
authors.forename: Charmaine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Charles-Hudson
mesh_terms: D064646:Cardiovascular Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D056902:Clinical Alarms; D003325:Coronary Care Units; D004566:Electrodes; D055318:Evidence-Based Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital