Do you trust automatic "vitals" machines??

Franksters · Feb 18, 2007

I encourage my nurses, especially new nurses, to manually check any VS that is high or low. When I worked in ICU I checked all my readings manually. Machines are good but nothing can replace good ole nursing judgement.

NaomieRN · Feb 18, 2007

If the automatic vital machines are so inaccurate, why do hospitals still use them?

According to most of you, these machines are not reliable. Maybe the hospitals should be made aware for the safety of the clients, to go back to the manual way to take vitals. I personally think if these machines are use probably they will do the job right. I use them at the hospital where I am working as a nursing student tech. So far, they are accurate. I always make sure to use the right size cuff and put it the right way. The nurses usually get similar readings when recheck manually. If you having out of wack readings, maybe it it time to alert the supervisor of the problem.

Sheri257 · Feb 18, 2007

Do I trust the machines? No. But when I was an aide with 10-13 patients ... I had to use them because the RN's would get really PO'd if I didn't get the vitals in on time.

Besides, the manual BP cuffs at the hospital didn't always work either. So ... if the vitals seemed really off I'd do it manually as much as I could with my own cuff.

:typing

climberrn · Feb 18, 2007

Totally didn't read all 7 pages of this but in my old hospital you COULDN'T check a BP manually. The hospital didn't have manual cuffs. One time I couldn't get our monitor to get a reading on a kiddo, did everything trouble shooting I could do, looked for a manual cuff and there wasn't one in the entire floor. Couldn't believe it.

pcicurn7 · Feb 18, 2007

I trust the dynamaps, they are usually pretty accurate. However, the machines are most definitely not a substitute for assessment. If you get a set of abnormal (or even just "funny" vitals), you should not think twice to repeat them manually. However, in my experience, the machine is usually not that far off.

We used to have tympanic thermometers...yeah, that didnt last long. They are garbage. I'd sooner do an axillary temp.

As far as sats go...I learned the hard way (i wasnt even in nursing school then)...i had an 18 month old patient who typically gave me sats in the 80s, and one day he came in and i could not for the life of me get a sat or BP (he was crying..as most 18 months old do when they come to the office). So, i hooked him up to the ecg machine, and lo and behold...he was in full SVT, tachying away at 300+. Lesson learned. Now i do a quick little look over before i take vitals...then i continue assessing based on what the vitals say (to make sure it all makes sense...)

Like i said...dynamaps are great, but not a replacement for assessment.

Franksters · Feb 18, 2007

Unfortunately health care is becoming automated. We use dinamaps, hand held sats, electronic thermometers, etc. My first assessment of the night, I checked all machine readings manually. That way I knew the difference in numbers. I did this every 4 hours. That way, I felt comfortable relying on the quick method. However, I have worked with nurses that were slaves to these machines. If the monitor alarmed VF, it was VFDon't pay attention to the patient sitting up and telling you they are ok. Ok, Ok. That is an extreme example but you catch my drift.

Spatialized · Feb 19, 2007

We use dynamaps and tele-mons on our unit. For the most I do trust, but like have been put out there, if the reading is odd, I'll check it by hand. One thing I did find is that the automated cuffs can have a difficult time getting accurate readings on my afib/flutter patient, especially those with faster ventricular rates.

Machines are great, but nothing like getting eyes on your patient. And when the monitor shows something untoward like VT, we'll be in there in a heart beat. It's bad though, I hear the alarms in my sleep now...

Tom

PEGGY1974 · Feb 20, 2007

I use the automatic machines, but I also take the intiative to visually check my patients health status. If the vital signs are too high, I do the vitals manually.

clou · Feb 25, 2007

The PCT's use "datascopes" but I (I'm an LPN who works in a small hospital)don't always trust them. If someone reports an "out of whack" reading, I ask them to recheck, especially the blood pressures, manually. Sometimes the machines are accurate, and sometimes they're not. I only trust what I hear or see.

RN BSN 2009 · Feb 25, 2007

Auto BP cuffs will not get an accurate reading for hypotension!

twotrees2 · Mar 23, 2007

At our hospital the CNA's use "robo nurses" to take vitals. It is relatively fast for them, taking BP and pulse and o2 sats at the same time. However the more I work, the less I trust them. It seems like one night the CNA reports all my pts. BP's are up, another night they are low. Or they can't get the machine to work. I take them manually to check. Sometimes I agree with the machine, sometimes not. Also the pulse ox seems weird. It will often show lower sats then the hand held machine.
When I was in RN school we were told to not use these machines, but the BP cuffs in the rooms are not always in good shape either. I do prefer to check my pts. pulses on both sides during an assessment if I can and at the same time I can accurately check respirations.
What do you all think about these machines? Does your facility use them???

i use a wrist one- wasnt so sure of em at first- always checked- one time got a very weird reading like 190 something over 40 something or some such reading - had 4 people including me and the administrator recheck it and it was accurate - so i totally trust them-

i do agree- if the resident is moving around it shoud b rechecked ( even with regular ones i would cause even our hearing can miss it with movement or noise) - i do a monthly chek on the system to be sure it hasnt been dropped or broken somehow cause i let others use it - and i make sure to show my aides HOW to use them as if they dont use em right they get bad readings also.

twotrees2 · Mar 23, 2007

Automatic machines are used in the OR- & where I work, these are the same machines we use in PACU & in ICU. When we have a patient w/an A-line- and this depends on positoning too-- it is very close to what we get on the automatic machines, so yes, I trust them!!! I asked one of the CRNAs once what they did years ago-- he said they used to have to take every BP manually in the OR- AND w/no Sa02 monitors they were watching their patients VERY closely-- this was also in the days of ether! I would say if you're getting all high one shift and all low another then you need to look at the technique of the people taking them, and whether or not your machines are regularly maintained to function optimally. What I DON'T trust are the tympanic thermometers!!! I have heard the temporal ones are more accurate, but that's what they used to say about the tympanic ones. (the mercury ones were alot more accurate but not as quick)

when i see the tympanic ones not reading what seems accurate i have noticed ( even my own doctors nurse i had to "educate" on how to use it) - one can not just tuck it in the ear and expect an accurate reading - one needs to tug gently ( lol tug may be wrong word lol) to open the canal so the heat sensor can read where it is suppsed to be reading ) at leas that is what i was taught - up and back for adults down and back for kids