Earlier intervention in case of complications thanks to Sensium patch

The whole article by Amphia in Dutch can be found here. Translated in English below:

After major surgery, patients are manually monitored at least three times a day, for vital signs such as heart rate, respiratory rate and temperature. Abnormal values can be a warning sign of underlying problems; in the case of major abdominal surgery, this can be an indication of complications that may even be life-threatening. Such complications could eventually lead to death and can be prevented.

It is well known that the earlier an intervention, the better the outcome. In most cases, unnoticed changes in vital parameters have already occurred and gradually increased in severity. Since early December, all patients undergoing major abdominal surgery in the surgical ward have therefore been given a smart patch.  The Sensium patch measures heart rate, temperature and respiratory rate every two minutes, so that a deterioration in the patient’s condition can be detected much sooner.

Key user and nurse Amanda: “I was super enthusiastic from the start. It is great to be able to continuously monitor the patient and to be able to intervene in time before things go wrong. It’s also great to be able to let the patient sleep at night, but still be able to monitor them with the Sensium Patch.

Research will show whether we can also monitor patients remotely in the future. In some cases, this will allow patients to go home and recover earlier. This is good for patients and hospital beds can be used more efficiently this way.

Team leader Elske Oomen: “As a team leader, we want the best for our patients, but we also want to make the nurse’s work easier.” To investigate whether the smart plasters contribute positively to the quality of care, a study is conducted that looks at preventing readmissions to the ICU, reducing the length of time a patient spends in hospital and the patient’s sense of safety. It will also be investigated whether the use of smart plasters relieves the nurse, leaving more time for other care.