Wireless Sensor Networks in Intensive Care Units

Abstract

Knowledge of patients weight is essential for daily practice in intensive care units. Many medications, including anticoagulants, nutrition, antibiotics and vasopressors are dependent on weight and height for precise dosing. Patients weight is used to adjust the dose of many drugs, and the dosages of infusions of vasoactive drugs are expressed in micrograms per kilogram of body weight per minute so that cardiovascular function can be assessed and comparisons between patients can be made. This paper presents a new laboratorial prototype based on wireless sensor networks to measure weight of patients. The technology proposed presents several advantages like simplicity and robustness, resulting in an alternative approach that can be used massively replacing old and expensive solutions in intensive care units. The platform implemented monitors the weight of each bedfast patient, triggering an alarm every time an unusual situation occurs. It also provides a complete suite of tools to manage, access and control all situations related to each patient.