Bengaluru: How to determine if a patient’s condition is deteriorating and when should s/he be moved to the ICU? This is a major challenge that doctors and patient’s family members face on a daily basis.
But this dilemma is all set to end with several city hospitals deploying Artificial Intelligence and wireless tech to monitor a patient’s condition and predict critical events during the course of treatment.
Not only does AI intervention detect clinical deterioration but also helps reduce the period of stay in hospitals. The mechanism is simple: When a patient is rushed to a hospital, doctors put a patch (sensor) on the body, activate it and start monitoring the vitals through a wireless reader. The data generated can be checked by medical personnel on their phones through an app. If the patient’s condition is likely worsen, he/she will be shifted to ICU.
Such a mechanism, titled ‘Patient status engine’, has been deployed by Manipal Hospitals, Old Airport Road in partnership with UK-based Isansys Lifecare in high dependency units. More will be added by November — in Manipal Hospitals across the city and in around 10 ambulances. PSE monitors patients’ heart rate, temperature, saturation, blood pressure and ECG along with minute-by-minute early warning score (EWS).
Dr Venkatesh Gupta, consultant, critical care medicine, Manipal Hospitals, HAL Airport Road said, “Every sickness has a warning sign and sometimes you see these eight hours early. It becomes important to identify them soon.” He agreed that not all conditions require ICU monitoring whose cost can be high. “With this mechanism in wards and high dependency units, we can bring patients to the ICU only when the warning signs are high,” he added.
