Evaluating the Accuracy of and Time Spent in Analysis of Acid-Base Reports by Three Methods: Is a Computer-Aided Method Best?

摘要

This study assessed use of the computer as an aid for the interpretation of arterial blood gases (ABG) reports. The hypothesis was that the computer-aided method is the fastest and most accurate way of evaluating an ABG. The accuracy of and time spent by three subjects analyzing 30 ABG using three methods were compared. The methods used were: unaided (subjective), aided by algorithms-calculator (objective) and computer-aided (automated). The subjects were three Internal Medicine senior residents. The software was specifically developed for the task and was based on the same rules used in the second method. The subjective method was the fastest but most inaccurate. The computer-aided analysis was second in speed but the most accurate of the three methods. It also resulted in more homogeneous inter-observer results.