Computerized data management and decision making in critical care

Computers are being increasingly employed in all levels of society. Computer applications in clinical medicine have lagged behind administrative and billing functions. However, computers are now finding an increasingly useful place in critical care medicine. The complexity of the patients' conditions and the large amount of data generated by critically ill patients provide an ideal area of application for computers. The computer can assist in collecting data, calculating derived parameters, speeding data communications, record keeping, report generation, and decision making. This article has discussed and illustrated how the computer can aid in the care of the critically ill.