Table 8.

Patients who experienced at least one false arrhythmia alarm during their ICU stay

Characteristic/constant	Coefficient B	Standard error	Wald χ2	P-value	Odds ratio	95% CI
Age >60 years	0.339	0.187	3.289	0.070	1.40	0.97–2.03
Constant	−0.104	0.132	0.626	0.429	0.90
Gender	0.248	0.187	1.746	0.186	1.28	0.89–1.85
Constant	−0.048	0.127	0.144	0.704	0.95
Ethnicity	0.388	0.304	1.634	0.201	1.47	0.81–2.67
Constant	0.050	0.100	0.250	0.617	1.05
Race	−0.071	0.073	0.957	0.328	0.931	0.81–1.07
Constant	0.383	0.339	1.281	0.258	1.467
Altered mental status (confusion or agitation)	0.934	0.226	17.037	<0.001	2.545	1.63–3.97
Constant	−0.163	0.108	2.274	0.132	0.849
Body mass index >30	0.116	0.203	0.326	0.536	1.123	0.76–1.67
Constant	0.025	0.113	0.051	0.821	1.026
Current smoker	−0.311	0.259	1.438	0.231	0.733	0.44–1.22
Constant	0.113	0.101	1.240	0.266	1.120
Seizures documented	0.043	0.469	0.008	0.929	1.043	0.42–2.62
Constant	0.063	0.095	0.443	0.506	1.065
Tremors documented	−0.101	0.348	0.303	0.582	0.826	0.42–1.63
Constant	0.080	0.097	0.680	0.410	1.083
BBB per cardiac monitor	0.984	0.367	7.173	0.007	2.674	1.30–5.49
Constant	−0.014	0.097	0.021	0.884	0.986
Pacemaker (temporary and permanent)	0.638	0.373	2.917	0.088	1.892	0.91–3.93
Constant	0.021	0.096	0.049	0.825	1.022
VAD	21.150	23,205.422	0.000	0.999	1.533E+9	^0.00–___
Constant	0.052	0.093	0.314	0.575	1.054
MV	0.837	0.200	17.512	<0.001	2.309	1.56–3.42
Constant	−0.232	0.117	3.914	0.048	0.793

Notes: Univariate binary logistic regression (alpha set at 0.010 for retention in a multivariate logistic regression); N=461; 238 patients experienced false alarms; characteristics associated with significant higher number of alarms are in bold. Lines in bold depict statistically significant results with P<0.005.

^{^}indicates results in this case were uninterpretable due to low number of VAD patients.

Abbreviations: BBB, bundle branch block; CI, confidence interval; ICU, intensive care unit; MV, mechanically ventilated; VAD, ventricular assist device.