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Routine Vital Sign Measurement For Patients With Deep Venous Thrombosis Does Not Affect Outcome
A DGReview of :"Ineffectiveness of measuring routine vital signs in adult inpatients with deep venous thrombosis"
Clinical and Applied Thrombosis Hemostasis
07/09/2003
By Keely S. Solomon, PhD
Routine measurement of vital signs in hospitalised patients with deep venous thrombosis (DVT) has no effect on clinical outcome, concludes a recent American study.
Anil Potti, MD, with the University of North Dakota School of Medicine, Fargo, United States, and colleagues, evaluated 149 patients with DVT during hospitalisation to determine whether routine monitoring of vital signs is beneficial to clinical outcome.
The study subjects were divided into two groups and vital signs were measured every 4 or 8 hours, accordingly. Specific measurements included pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and temperature.
No significant difference was detected between the two groups for average length of hospital stay (p=0.507). The average stay was 5.16 days for the 4-hour group and 4.85 days for the 8-hour group, the researchers report. Furthermore, no statistically significant difference was detected in survival, progression of disease, or patient disposition.
Based on these results, Dr. Potti and colleagues suggest that, "present frequency of measurement of vital signs is not cost or time effective because they do not result in a favourable outcome, length of stay, or disposition."
"The study further serves to highlight the need for an individualised assessment of vital sign measurement, because this will also lead to a more efficient allocation of hospital resources," they conclude.
Clin Appl Thromb Hemost 2003 Apr;9:2:163-6.
"Ineffectiveness of measuring routine vital signs in adult inpatients with deep venous thrombosis"
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