First-of-Its-Kind, Wireless Monitoring Solution Aids Early Detection of Patient Deterioration

On a global scale, approximately 65% of hospital patients and over 90% of post-acute care patients undergo manual monitoring rather than continuous tracking. This approach often results in the oversight of significant changes in vital signs during sporadic checks, which are usually spaced out every four to six hours. Most patients requiring critical care or facing cardiac arrest exhibit earlier abnormal trends in their vital signs instead of sudden deterioration. Amidst this reliance on manual "spot-checks" to observe patient vitals by the majority of hospitals worldwide, a novel wireless monitoring system now facilitates continuous monitoring throughout a patient's hospital stay, assisting medical professionals in identifying deterioration promptly. Detecting deterioration at an early stage might contribute to shorter hospital stays, decreased admissions to intensive care units (ICUs), and enhanced patient outcomes.

GE Healthcare (Chicago, IL, USA) has received 510(k) clearance from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its innovative Portrait Mobile wireless and wearable monitoring solution. Portrait Mobile offers real-time continuous monitoring along with a personalized overview of a patient's vital signs while allowing patients to remain mobile during crucial recovery periods, especially post-surgery or after ICU discharge. By continuously monitoring patients and accessing real-time data, clinicians can identify signs of deterioration sooner than conventional spot-check methods, which are typically done at intervals of 4 to 6 hours. This combination of wireless patient-worn sensors and a compact monitor the size of a smartphone eliminates traditional restraints to enable patients to move freely within the ward, thereby improving health outcomes and reducing hospital stays.

Portrait Mobile's dual-vector respiration rate measurement technology employs an innovative algorithm tailored for mobile patients. This approach optimizes electrode placement even amidst changes in breathing patterns, ensuring accurate and continuous respiratory rate measurement. Undetected patient deterioration, particularly post-surgery, can result in preventable yet dangerous consequences, with post-surgery 30-day mortality ranking as the third leading cause of death globally. The consistent flow of data and uninterrupted measurement of vital signs—such as respiration rate, oxygen saturation, and pulse rate—enable healthcare providers to identify patient decline in real time, facilitating timely intervention before deterioration sets in.

“It’s important for recovery that patients be able to move around freely while their vital signs are being monitored,” said Neal Sandy, general manager, of monitoring solutions, GE HealthCare. “Until Portrait Mobile, patient monitoring required that patients be tethered to their beds, limiting mobility. GE HealthCare designed Portrait Mobile with this need in mind – the advent of a small wearable, wireless inpatient monitoring solution that provides reliable monitoring to the patient's care team, while allowing for more patient freedom and flexibility during recovery, is an important advancement in acute care.”

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