Computer-assisted evaluation of respiratory data in ventilated critically ill patients

In intensive care unit, a lot of data are currently available but remain unused by nurses and residents because of complexity of analysis. We have developed a system for interpretation of respiratory data (RESPAID) in order to improve monitoring of patients under respiratory support and also to provide a high level of information. RESPAID is a real-time system which interprets quantitative and qualitative aspects of the usual respiratory data at different levels of information. Initial knowledge base was built from data given by four specialists in intensive care. Major attention was paid to different aspects of the system: monitor interface, user interface and time representation. Data are issued from standard respirators and/or monitors used in the intensive care unit. Informations provided by RESPAID are alarm identification, ventilator settings modification and proposal for physiological evolution of the patient or suspected complication. RESPAID runs on IBM PCAT3 with 1st class shell. It is currently in clinical validation procedure.