This post is very exciting to me.  All of us in the field of Neonatology are used to staring at patient monitors.  With each version of whatever product we are using there seems to be a new feature that is added to soothe our appetites for more data.  The real estate on the screen is becoming more and more precious as various devices such as ventilators, NIRS and other machines become capable of displaying their information in a centralized place.  The issue though is that there is only so much space available to display all of this information but underneath the hood so to speak is so much more!

Come Along For The Ride

One of our Neonatologists Dr. Yasser Elsayed has been very aware of these features embedded in the patient monitor.  Through teaching on rounds, some of our staff have become aware of these features but delivering this content to the masses has been an issue.  That is where this post and it’s linked content come into play.  I have created a new Youtube playlist where all of this great content can be found.  Each video is very watchable with most being 5-7 minutes long with the longest being 14:16.  Each video starts with a demonstration on the patient monitor of the lesson being taught and how to access the data using the patient monitor (in this case a Phillips but I have no doubt many other monitors have the same tech – just ask your rep how to get it) followed by a brief voice-over powerpoint to deliver the essential concepts.

However you wish to digest the information is up to you but as they are short we hope that you will be able to find the content you need quickly and apply the knowledge to patient care.  How can you use the information?  The next time a patient is giving you cause to worry try looking into some of the deeper trends that the monitor is hiding from plain sight. Is there a trend towards becoming hypotensive for the patient that can be revealed in their blood pressure histogram?  Maybe the issue lies with the way the patient is being ventilated and examining trends in the pleth waveforms may reveal where the underlying problem lies.

The Topics (click the links to go to Youtube)

Complete List of Videos

Part 1 – Using Histograms

Part 2 – How to interpret blood pressure histograms

Part 3 – Using vital signs as trends

Part 4 – Impact of ventilation on pleth waveforms

Part 5 – How to interpret arterial pressure waveforms

Part 6 – Near Infrared Spectroscopy