The University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM) took a look at patients who were admitted to the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) that were being treated with mechanical breathing devices in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit. The research facility wanted to determine if adding medical specialists to the patient’s treatment plan would have positive results. ReactDx, creators of a top-notch ECG monitor, review the study in detail. Continue reading to discover their findings.
Background
The UMMC’s Cardiac Intensive Care Unit has a total of 15 beds and is reported to treat as many as 2,000 patients each year. The study took a look at 363 patients who not only had a cardiac health issue, but also needed mechanical breathing assistance. The study was separated into two groups. The first group of 162 patients did not receive any extra care, while the second group of 201 received care from additional medical specialists.
The Study
The study examined several different factors. The researchers reviewed the length of each patient’s stay in the hospital, whether or not the individual went 28 days without breathing assistance, how much the total cost of the hospital stay and services rendered equaled, and what the total number of deaths that occurred in the hospital was among the participants surveyed.
The Results
Surprisingly, adding a team of intensivists (intensive care medical specialists) had a positive impact in several of the factors that were examined. Not only were patients who received the extra care taken off breathing tubes faster, but they were also being discharged two days earlier. Perhaps the biggest discovery was the $4 million that was saved in hospital costs over the course of the year.
The American Heart Association reports that shortness of breath, persistent coughing, and wheezing are all symptoms of heart failure, so it is understandable that many cardiac intensive care patients require breathing assistance. Fortunately, the positive results of this study show doctors there is a treatment plan that will help reduce recovery time. ReactDx supplies a line of ECG monitors that can be used to keep an eye on a patient’s heart health. Call ReactDx at 800-234-3278 to learn more, or visit our News & Updates page.
At ReactDx, we have been advancing diagnostic cardiology since 1981. ReactDx develops, manufactures, and provides service with the most reliable and sophisticated ECG monitors in the world. Since its inception, ReactDx has been at the forefront of the cardiac telemedicine industry – pioneering technology, improving existing technologies and adding new applications.
