Description

Capture and storage of vital signs data are performed with our own developed data gathering program, Vital Recorder. The Vital Recorder program is a Windows® software and acquires time-synced patient monitoring data from the serial ports of multiple anesthesia devices like patient monitor, anesthesia machine, bispectral index monitor, cardiac output monitor, infusion pumps, etc. The retrieved data are stored on the local or network data storage.

Variables captured by the Vital Recorder program are as follows: heart rate, blood pressure, saturation, temperature, respiratory parameters, bispectral index, infusion history of target-controlled infusion pump, cardiac output, cerebral oxygen concentration, etc.

Time interval of the data is 1-2 sec for numeric variables. Resolution of waves (analog data such as ECG, plethysmogram, and pressure waves) is usually 500 Hz. Captured data of a patient is stored as a *.vital file.

A laptop is connected to 4-6 anesthesia devices at the same time via serial connections. Patients enrolled (all of the surgical patients who undergo surgery at our hospital) receive routine anesthesia and surgery. Due to the program's automatic function, the program identifies the start and end of a case then automatically records the vital signs of every patient 24/365, once the program starts.

Patient information is additionally gathered from the electronic medical recording system (EMR). Data from the EMR are as follows: sex, age, weight, height, diagnosis, operation, anesthesia and surgery times, premedical history, perioperative lab data and medication.

List of vital files and patient information is integrated in an encrypted spreadsheet file.