Abstract: A system that analyzes alarms from patient monitoring devices and calculates modified alarm thresholds that reduce the number of alarms to a desired level. This capability addresses the common problem of alarm overload and fatigue, where alarms occur so frequently that clinicians cannot respond effectively. The system supports highly efficient calculation of changes in alarm frequency, by storing summaries of alarm data that record maximum and minimum values during an alarm. New thresholds may be selected manually or automatically and may be transmitted directly to the patient monitoring devices as updates to their alarm thresholds. The system may also classify alarms as high (above an upper threshold) or low (below a lower threshold) when devices do not provide this data. The system may also estimate the number of additional alarms that would occur if an upper threshold were reduced, or a lower threshold were increased.

Abstract: A system that analyzes alarms from patient monitoring devices that trigger after a configurable delay time, and that calculates modified delay times that reduce the number of alarms to a desired level. This capability addresses the common problem of alarm overload and fatigue, where alarms occur so frequently that clinicians cannot respond effectively. The system supports highly efficient calculation of changes in alarm frequency, by storing summaries of alarm data that record alarm durations and first values during the alarm. New delays may be selected manually or automatically and may be transmitted directly to the patient monitoring devices as updates to their alarm delay times. The system may also estimate a current delay time when devices do not provide this data. The system may also estimate the number of additional alarms that would occur if an alarm delay were reduced.