Automated anesthesia data management and recordkeeping.

It is apparent that judicious application of computer technology to the design and implementation of an automated anesthesia recordkeeping system could afford increased ease of use to the anesthesiologist compared to a manually kept record. Although prototype systems have been developed at academic institutions, and commercially available operating room physiological monitoring systems show increasing capability for some recordkeeping functions, production of an effective AAD-MARKS will depend on the development of suitable display formats and capabilities, markedly improved user interfaces for data input and system control, intelligent graduated alarm systems, and demonstrated reliability, with provision for preservation of critical data and recordkeeping functions and basic physiological data monitoring despite system failure.