A Novel Electronic Device for Measuring Urine Flow Rate: A Clinical Investigation

Abstract

Objective: Currently, most vital signs in the intensive care unit (ICU) are electronically monitored. However, clinical practice for urine output (UO) measurement, an important vital sign, usually requires manual recording of data that is subject to human errors. In this study, we assessed the ability of a novel electronic UO monitoring device to measure real-time hourly UO versus current clinical practice. Design: Patients were connected to the RenalSense Clarity RMS Sensor Kit with a sensor integrated within a standard sterile urinary catheter drainage tube to monitor urine flow in real time. The Clarity RMS Sensor Kit was modified to incorporate a standard urinometer (Unomedical) for the nursing staff to record UO as per their standard practice. The drainage bag was placed in a container on a scientific scale (Precisa BJ) to be used as the gold standard. Interventions: Nursing records for hourly UO were collected and compared with the electronically recorded UO. Sensor measurements and nursing staff manual records of UO were compared with the scale data. Setting: The study setting was the ICU of Hadassah Hospital, Jerusalem. Patients: Data from 23 patients with a urinary catheter were observed in this study. Measurements and main results: A total of 1046 hours of UO were recorded from 23 subjects. Compared with the scale data, the measurements of hourly urine flow measured with the RenalSense system were closer, had a better correlation, and narrower limits of agreement to gravimetrically determined values than the measurements obtained by the nurses. In addition, continuous monitoring of UO provided graphical display of response to repeated diuretic administration. Conclusions: An electronic device for recording UO has been shown to provide more reliable information of UO records and patient fluid status than current practice. Future applications of this device will provide valuable information to help set protocol goals such as decisions for timely fluid and diuretic administration and response.