Implementation of an electronic data monitoring system decreases the rate of hyperoxic episodes in premature neonates

Objective:to determine whether an electronic data surveillance system, or data sniffer (ds), could reduce the rate of hyperoxic episodes (hes) among premature neonates being managed by a standardized respiratory treatment protocol (rtp).study design:a total of 86 infants born at <29 weeks of gestation were included in the study. the rates of hes were compared among four epochs (e) as follows: e1: no rtp, no ds; e2:with rtp, no ds; e3: with rtp, with ds; e4: with rtp, no ds.result:after implementing the rtp in e2, the rate of hes was 44% lower than that of e1. activating the ds in e3 further reduced hes by 26%, whereas its deactivation in e4 resulted in a rebound in hes to baseline rates; p<0.0001 for each comparison.conclusion:the implementation of an electronic data monitoring system was associated with less frequent episodes of hyperoxia among premature neonates.