Innovis Health, Fargo, ND, is the first hospital in the world to fully implement the new Alarm Management System (AMS) with Nellcor™ OxiMax SPD™ technology from Covidien, Boulder, Colo. According to an announcement from Covidien, Innovis Health takes this title after recently implementing the AMS throughout its 86-bed facility. The AMS works with the Nellcor OxiMax N-600x pulse oximeter to alert clinical staff to desaturation patterns indicative of repetitive reductions in airflow.

“Our goal at Innovis Health is to bring the latest innovations into our facility to further the efficiency of our clinicians and to provide the best quality of care to our patients,” said Dana Farnham, respiratory therapy manager, Innovis Health, in the announcement. “With the Alarm Management System from Covidien, we are able to intervene early to prevent respiratory issues.”

With the AMS, health care providers are alerted to potentially dangerous situations: not just drastic drops, but also recurring moderate reductions in airflow, even if the patient has not dropped below the Spo2 threshold.
The AMS enhances the information provided by traditional pulse oximeters and supports comprehensive care of patients who are at risk for upper airway abnormalities such as sleep apnea, a history of snoring, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

“The AMS delivers tremendous advantages to the healthcare setting, quickly detecting potentially harmful breathing patterns and adding another level of patient safety by helping clinicians to identify issues and take action before adverse respiratory events occur,” said Doug Bartlett, vice president, US marketing, patient monitoring, Covidien.