Welch Allyn Acuity Directions For Use Manual page 51

Directions for use
Important considerations: adjusting alarm limits
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WARNING Patients for whom alarming has been turned off must be kept under
close physical surveillance. Turning off alarming disables both audio and visual
alarm indicators.
WARNING Do not use Stat Set or Auto Set for a patient in an alarm state! Use
these buttons only when your patient's vital sign values are in an acceptable
range.The buttons adjust alarm limits based on the patient's current vital-sign
values.
WARNING Always check alarm limits when a monitor reestablishes
communication with the Acuity System. If you change limits at a monitor while it
is not communicating with the Acuity System (for example, during transport or
signal dropout), when you reestablish communication with the system, the limits
might change to Acuity System Presets values.
WARNING Minimize patient movement during a RELEARN, as movement
creates noise during the reading. If the system learns an abnormal rhythm or
learns a rhythm during noise, it designates the learned rhythm as normal.
Thereafter, rhythms of this type might not trigger an alarm. Ensure that the
patient remains still for 5 minutes after the RELEARN before allowing them to
move.
WARNING False alarms may occur in some situations. You must understand
and address the cause of the false alarms whenever possible to eliminate the
possibility of repeated false alarms and alarm fatigue, which might result in a
failure to respond to an actual alarm situation.
WARNING Central station alarms and other events can go unnoticed if clinical
personnel are not present at the central station or if interruptions occur in power
or system operations.
WARNING The leading cause of patient death or serious injury reported with the
use of patient monitoring equipment is failure to respond to alarms notifying the
user of an adverse change in patient condition. If you are relying on visual alarm
notifications, maintain a clear line of sight and remain within 4 meters of the
central station. If you are relying on audio alarm notifications, make sure that you
can hear audio alarms from where you are. Set the volume as needed considering
the environment and ambient noise levels. Verify that the alarm is audible to a
clinician working at the maximum distance from the central station.
Chapter 4 Adjust monitoring settings and patient information 47