A new study from Wake Forest University School of Medicine found that patients continuously monitored after surgery experienced significantly less time with dangerously low oxygen levels compared to those monitored with routine spot checks. The research was published in JAMA Network Open.
Study Overview
The study, conducted at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, represents the first large, randomized crossover trial evaluating continuous wearable monitoring technologies on hospital surgical floors.
Researchers compared standard intermittent vital sign checks, typically every four hours, with a continuous wearable monitoring system that recorded oxygen saturation, heart rate, and blood pressure every 15 seconds.
The trial included nearly 3,700 patients, including 800 high-risk individuals, across two postoperative surgical units over a year.
Key Findings
- Reduced Hypoxemia: Continuously monitored patients spent approximately 30 fewer minutes with oxygen saturation below 90%. This represents a 14% risk reduction for dangerous desaturation events. Composite outcomes, including combinations of desaturation, heart rate, or blood pressure changes, were also significantly improved.
- Safety Trends: Continuously monitored patients experienced trends toward fewer ICU transfers, fewer rapid response activations, and lower in-hospital mortality. These individual trends were not statistically significant.
Dr. Ashish K. Khanna, lead author, stated that even modest amounts of hypoxemia can affect recovery and signal a downstream clinical event. The trial indicates that real-time patient physiological data aids teams in responding earlier and more effectively. Earlier bedside interventions, such as airway repositioning, stimulation, and supplemental oxygen, are believed to have contributed to the improved outcomes.
The study concludes that continuous wearable monitoring is achievable, impactful, and ready for broader adoption in the worldwide surgical and perioperative community, offering a pathway to improve outcomes and reduce preventable complications.