In the following the invention will be described in more detail by means of the study carried out with the drawing enclosed in which drawing
As described earlier a typical situation in which severe allergic reactions may occur relates to anesthesiology, i.e. a patient is connected to a anaesthetic workstation and a drug or several drugs related to the proceedings to carded out is given to the patient, and the drugs given generate a severe allergic reaction. The invention will be described in the following in connection with an anaesthesia station, but it must be understood that the invention is by no means restricted to anesthesiology.
The basis of the invention is a combination of drug detection system with for example anaesthesia workstation. This provides an easy way of recording drugs given to the patient. The system can also check and warn for drug interactions, known allergies of the patient, and provide instant access to drug-related information.
Reference number 4 shows principally the arrangements for carrying out physiological measurements. For example in aneaesthesia workstations the patient 1 in monitored by measuring for example blood pressure, ECG, pulse oximetry, air flows and pressures etc. As described earlier clinical features of anaphylactic and anaphylactoid reactions during anaesthesia comprise for example cardiovascular symptoms, bronchospasm and angioedema. Cardiovascular symptoms can be detected from the standard physiological patient monitoring including blood pressure measurement, ECG, and pulse oximetry. In ventilated patient, the narrowing of the airways related to the bronchospasm can be detected by changes in the air flow and airway pressures. In unventilated patients the condition is likely to change respiration rate and oxygenation. In severe angioedema, stridor of the airway occurs with gasping inspiratory 6 breath sounds and decreasing oxygen levels.
The Information obtained from physiological measurements and chemical substances fed to the patient are transmitted to a head unit 5 of the allergy detection system as shown by arrows in
Reference number 6 shows principally the arrangement for feeding information concerning known allergies of the patient 1 to the head unit 5 of the system. This feature is not compulsory in the invention but can be used if needed. The feeding of information can be manual or automatic, using, for example patient Information databases. The system can then detect whether the patient has previously been given similar substances, and whether there have been previous allergic reactions. Often allergies of the patients may be correlated; if patient is known to have a certain allergy, they are more likely to have allergies also to certain other substances. In this way, allergy information could be used to quantify the likelihood of allergic reactions even if the patient has not previously received the same substance. The arrangement 6 can be for example a user input or a reader by which the information needed can be read directly from a patient's information card. As said earlier the arrangement 6 can also be in connection to the hospital's patient database.
Reference number 7 shows principally an allergy and symptom database in which great variety of allergy and symptom information and information concerning measured physiological reactions created by different chemical substances has been stored beforehand.
Reference number 8 shows a warning/information display. The warning/information display may comprise arrangements for generating a visible and/or audible warning signal and also further a display for showing information concerning the allergic reaction in question.
The idea in the invention is that the database 7 is configured to operate with the workstation 2 to obtain results of the physiological measurements carried out and also further configured to operate with the detection arrangement 3 for detecting the chemical substance given to the patient and eventually timing of the given chemical substance and the device 6 for feeding known allergies of the patient, and the warning/information display 8. Operation between the database 7 and workstation 3, the device 6 for feeding the known allergies of the patient and the warning/information display 8 is obtained by connecting the elements mentioned above to the head unit 5 of the system as shown in
As shown in
The invention is described above in connection with anaesthesia workstation. The invention is however not restricted to anaesthesia. The invention can be used also in connection with other workstations and arrangements for carrying out other purposes. Critical care monitors are another example in which the invention can be used.
As told above the chemical substance generating severe allergic reaction is very often a drug or several drugs in combination. The system of the invention may also detect the interactions of two or more chemical substances and physiological changes resulted from the interactions. Said physiological changes may be according to the invention detected and measured and may be included into information from basis of which the warning of allergic reactions is generated. For example arrangement 4 in the workstation 2 can be arranged to detect the physiological changes mentioned above.
The system of the invention could also detect and measure dosage data of the chemical substance given to the patient and physiological changes resulted from the dosage. Over and under dosing of a drug can be harmful or even dangerous to the patient in certain circumstances. The information described above may be detected and measured according to the spirit of the invention and may be included into information from the basis of which the warning of allergic reactions is generated. For example the detection arrangement 3 can be provided with means to detect and measure the dosage data described above. Physiological changes resulted from the dosage can measured by using the workstation 2.
The present invention is not restricted to drugs although the invention is described above in connection with drugs. The chemical substance generating severe allergic reactions can be any chemical substance, for example food including drinks etc.