Pediatric clinics of North America
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Pediatr. Clin. North Am. · Oct 2017
ReviewMechanical Ventilation and Decision Support in Pediatric Intensive Care.
Respiratory support is required in most children in the pediatric intensive care unit. Decision-support tools (paper or electronic) have been shown to improve the quality of medical care, reduce errors, and improve outcomes. Computers can assist clinicians by standardizing descriptors and procedures, consistently performing calculations, incorporating complex rules with patient data, and capturing relevant data. This article discusses computer decision-support tools to assist clinicians in making flexible but consistent, evidence-based decisions for equivalent patient states.