The Effect of Continuous Monitoring Versus Routine Spot-checks on Altered Vital Signs in Patients Recovering From Non-cardiac Surgery on Normal Wards: the "COME ON, NOW!" Trial
The Effect of Continuous Monitoring Versus Routine Spot-checks on Altered Vital Signs in Patients Recovering From Non-cardiac Surgery on Normal Wards: the "COME ON, NOW!" Trial
The "COME ON, NOW!" trial is a randomized, single-center trial in patients recovering from non-cardiac surgery on normal wards investigating whether continuous vital sign monitoring - compared to routine spot-checks by nurses - reduces the total duration of abnormal vital signs per hour during the first 48 hours after admission to the normal ward.
"Surgery went well, and everything is fine. Your relative is still in the operating room, but you can visit her/him this afternoon on the normal ward." Each day, thousands of patient families receive relieving calls like this. A call better reflecting clinical reality would be: "Surgery went well, and everything is fine so far - but the most dangerous time is still ahead. The postoperative period poses a much higher risk for patients than surgery itself." Indeed, rates of major postoperative complications and death remain frighteningly high. If the month after surgery were considered a disease, it would be the third leading cause of death worldwide. Most major complications and deaths occur during the initial hospitalization, under direct medical care.
Postoperative deterioration is usually preceded by changes in vital signs minutes to hours earlier. However, these alterations are frequently missed because vital signs on normal wards are typically assessed only every 4-8 hours. Continuous monitoring may allow earlier detection of instability and enable timely interventions to prevent or mitigate serious complications.
The investgators therefore propose a single-center randomized trial in adults recovering from major non-cardiac surgery on normal wards to compare continuous postoperative vital sign monitoring with routine intermittent spot-checks. Patients will be randomized to blinded or unblinded continuous monitoring using a wearable, wireless sensor system (Radius VSM, Masimo, Irvine, CA). In the unblinded group, clinicians will receive real-time alerts.
The primary outcome will be the cumulative duration of vital sign abnormalities during the first 48 hours on the ward. Secondary outcomes will include clinical interventions triggered by these abnormalities. Exploratorily, the investigators will assess a composite of serious in-hospital complications.
Our long-term goal is to reduce postoperative morbidity and mortality by enabling earlier recognition of clinical deterioration and timely intervention on general wards.
Inclusion Criteria:
Consenting patients ≥45 years scheduled for elective non-cardiac (abdominal and thoracic) surgery with planned postoperative admission to a normal ward after an overnight stay in an advanced post-anesthesia care unit.
Exclusion Criteria:
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s.stemmler@uke.de+4940741066077