Hospitals and patient-monitoring equipment: time for a reappraisal.

Is patient-monitoring technology becoming overused? Five years ago, no one would even have posed the question. Now, almost any patient, whether under heavy sedation or a local anesthetic, is a candidate for monitoring under today's standards of care. And a growing number of organizations are setting guidelines on the use of patient monitors. Monitors of all kinds are being used to track the vital signs of patients in virtually every hospital department--from operating and recovery rooms to critical care units. And because existing guidelines are vague about where and when monitors are required, hospitals may need more monitors simply to avoid liability.