Description:
<jats:sec><jats:title>BACKGROUND</jats:title><jats:p>As many as 99% of alarm signals may not need any intervention and can result in patients’ deaths. Alarm management is now a Joint Commission National Patient Safety Goal.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>OBJECTIVES</jats:title><jats:p>To reduce the number of nuisance electrocardiographic alarm signals in adult patients on the medical cardiovascular care unit.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>METHODS</jats:title><jats:p>A quality improvement process was used that included eliminating duplicative alarms, customizing alarms, changing electrocardiography electrodes daily, standardizing skin preparation, and using disposable electrocardiography leads.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>RESULTS</jats:title><jats:p>In the cardiovascular care unit, the mean number of electrocardiographic alarm signals per day decreased from 28.5 (baseline) to 3.29, an 88.5% reduction.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>CONCLUSION</jats:title><jats:p>Use of a bundled approach to managing alarm signals decreased the mean number of alarm signals in a cardiovascular care unit. (Critical Care Nurse. 2015;35[4]:15–23)</jats:p></jats:sec>