With the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic event, hospitals are working to provide proper isolation procedures for the regularly admitted patient and their medical teams, while in parallel, supporting the COVID-19 infected population. Unfortunately, during these global events, fundamental process of care measures like documentation of vital signs, including proper monitoring of a patient's urine output, can be difficult. Urine output is a key metric in monitoring the fluid state of a patient, especially in COVID-19 patients that suffer from pneumonia, which can jeopardize their kidney functionality. Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) happens to be a severe symptom of COVID-19, especially for patients in a critical condition.
Some hospitals have adopted a unique approach to monitoring a patient's urine flow, one that eliminates this near-proximity, manual and time-consuming process. With electronic, urine-monitoring systems like the Clarity RMS® from RenalSense, a technology that continuously measures urine flow, automatically transmitting to the medical staff real-time data, and notifications of fluctuations, on a 24/7 basis, the hospital staff has peace of mind knowing the patients urine flow is being captured on the hour and tracked electronically. This information, which reflects changes in renal function, provides an early sign of AKI risk and facilitates rapid intervention.
Dr. Hassan Khouli, Chair of the Department of Critical Care Medicine at The Cleveland Clinic, says that when it comes to surveillance, the CDC states, "when transmission of epidemiologically-important organisms continues despite implementation and documented adherence to infection prevention and control strategies, obtain consultation from persons knowledgeable in infection control and healthcare epidemiology to review the situation and recommend additional measures for control".
Once the patient is connected, the hospital staff can monitor urine output of a patient at a distance - a very useful tool for the isolation room. The technology limits the number of times that staff needs to go into an isolation room that maintains an infected patient and allows them to visually view the graphically trended urine output remotely – this alerts them automatically that a patient's urine output has dropped below globally accepted standards.
To find out which hospital in your area may be utilizing the Clarity RMS®, please visit RenalSense's website at: www.renalsense.com
March 24, 2020
Topic Area: Press Release
Recent Posts
Designing for Caregiver-Centered Support Spaces
When healthcare environments are designed to meet the needs of caregivers and patients, everyone who relies on the system experiences better outcomes.
Novant Health Gets Approval for Wesley Chapel Medical Center
The 32-bed hospital will be located in Monroe and is expected to be completed in 2030.
Rocky Mountain Associated Physicians Falls Victim to Data Breach
On February 2, 2026, Rocky Mountain confirmed that certain patient information may have been compromised because of a data security incident.
The Disconnect Between EVS and Clinical Teams
A recent study shows that EVS feels disconnected from the clinical community, leading to negative experiences.
Nemours Children's Hospital Opens Institute for Maternal Fetal Health in Delaware
The Institute for Maternal Fetal Health represents a comprehensive approach to supporting expectant patients who receive a complex diagnosis during pregnancy.