Longitudinal analysis of one million vital signs in patients in an academic medical center

• Published in: Resuscitation 2011-11, Vol.82 (11), p.1387-1392
• Main Authors: Bleyer, Anthony J, Vidya, Sri, Russell, Gregory B, Jones, Catherine M, Sujata, Leon, Daeihagh, Pirouz, Hire, Donald
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Academic Medical Centers; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Anesthesia. Intensive care medicine. Transfusions. Cell therapy and gene therapy; Biological and medical sciences; Critical vital signs; Emergency; Emergency and intensive care: techniques, logistics; Female; Hospital; Hospital Mortality; Humans; Intensive care medicine; Intensive care unit. Emergency transport systems. Emergency, hospital ward; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Medical sciences; MEWS; Middle Aged; Mortality; Patient Admission - statistics & numerical data; Retrospective Studies; VIEWS; Vital Signs; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0300-9572; 1873-1570
• DOI: 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2011.06.033

Abstract Background Recognition of critically abnormal vital signs has been used to identify critically ill patients for activation of rapid response teams. Most studies have only analyzed vital signs obtained at the time of admission. The intent of this study was to examine the association of critical vital signs occurring at any time during the hospitalization with mortality. Methods All vital sign measurements were obtained for hospitalizations from January 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009 at a large academic medical center. Results There were 1.15 million individual vital sign determinations obtained in 42,430 admissions on 27,722 patients. Critical vital signs were defined as a systolic blood pressure 120 bpm, temperature < 35 °C or >38.9 °C, oxygen saturation