Automated interpretive medical care system and methodology

1. A method for identifying a degree of severity of a respiratory disorder of a patient, the method comprising:

receiving, from a capnograph coupled to an element positioned within an airway of the patient, a CO 2 waveform indicative of partial-pressure CO 2 values of the patient at consecutive time intervals;

receiving from a second sensing unit comprising a sensor positioned on the patient a second signal, and computing at least one additional parameter based on the second signal;

wherein the second signal comprises a cardiac function, a systemic oxygenation, a cerebral oxygenation, or a systemic circulation or any combination thereof;

using a processor:

computing at least one parameter relating to the CO 2 waveform, wherein the CO 2 waveform comprises a slope of a CO 2 concentration curve, an angle of rise, a time to rise, run time of the rise, curvature, acceleration, or area under the curve, or any combination of these parameters;

determining a change in the at least one parameter relating to the CO 2 waveform over the consecutive time intervals;

determining a change in the at least one additional parameter over the consecutive time intervals;

identifying an improvement, lack of change or deterioration in a respiratory status based on the determined change in the at least one parameter relating to the CO 2 waveform;

identifying an improvement, lack of change or deterioration in a vital sign of the patient based on an integrated analysis of the determined change in the at least one additional parameter and on a change in end-tidal CO 2 (EtCO 2 ) values obtained over the consecutive time intervals;

determining a degree of severity of a respiratory disorder based on the improvement, lack of change or deterioration in the respiratory status and in the vital sign;

determining that the patient has a severe respiratory disorder based at least in part on the degree of severity; and

providing an instruction to a display to provide an alert in response to the determination that the patient has the severe respiratory disorder; and

displaying, using the display, the alert in response to the determination that the patient has the severe respiratory disorder.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising wirelessly transmitting, via a transmitter, an output indication indicative of the degree of severity of the respiratory disorder.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

comparing, using the processor, a value of the at least one parameter relating to the CO 2 waveform to a predetermined value; and

determining, using the processor, whether the value of the parameter crosses the predetermined value.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

comparing, using the processor, a value of the at least one additional parameter to a predetermined value; and

determining, using the processor, whether the value of the additional parameter crosses the predetermined value.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising computing, using the processor, a trend in the change in the at least one parameter relating to the CO 2 waveform.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing the at least one parameter relating to the CO 2 waveform and the at least one additional parameter in a memory device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the respiratory disorder is selected from the group consisting of: restrictive lung disease, bronchospasm, asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, respiratory failure, fibrosis, and upper airway obstructive disease.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the respiratory disorder is bronchospasm.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one parameter relating to the CO 2 waveform comprises run time of the rise and slope of the CO 2 concentration curve.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second sensing unit comprises an ECG comprising electrodes positioned on a chest of the patient, a pulse oximeter comprising the sensor positioned on a finger of the patient, a cerebral oximeter comprising the sensor positioned on a forehead of the patient, an NIBP comprising a cuff positioned on an arm of the patient, or any combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising

wirelessly transmitting, via a transmitter, an output indication indicative of the degree of severity of the respiratory disorder to a remote device in response to the determination that the patient has the severe respiratory disorder.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the alert comprises a text message that provides information related to the degree of severity, the severe respiratory disorder, or a combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein

the severe respiratory disorder based at least in part on the degree of severity is that the patient is entering respiratory failure, and the method further comprises wirelessly transmitting, via a transmitter, data related to the respiratory failure to a remote device in response to the determination that the patient is entering respiratory failure.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein

the alert indicates that the patient is entering respiratory failure.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the alert comprises a text message that recommends intubation of the patient.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the element positioned within the airway of the patient comprises an intubation tube, and the method further comprises:

receiving, at the processor, an input indicating successful intubation of the patient;

determining, using the processor, an interruption in the CO 2 waveform from the capnograph; and

providing, using the processor, another instruction to the display to provide an intubation alert indicative of possible dislodgement of the intubation tube in response to the determination of the interruption in the CO 2 waveform from the capnograph.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the element positioned within the airway of the patient comprises an intubation tube, and the method further comprises:

receiving, at the processor, an input indicating successful intubation of the patient;

comparing, using the processor, the CO 2 waveform to standardized capnograms associated with intubated patients in response to receipt of the input;

verifying, using the processor, that the intubation is successful in response to the CO 2 waveform corresponding to the standardized capnograms; and

providing, using the processor, another instruction to the display to provide an indication of successful intubation.

18. A system, comprising:

an apparatus for identifying a degree of severity of a respiratory disorder of a patient, the apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to:

receive, from a capnograph coupled to an element positioned within an airway of the patient, a CO 2 waveform indicative of partial-pressure CO 2 values of the patient at consecutive time intervals;

receive, from a second sensing unit comprising a sensor positioned on the patient, a second signal;

compute at least one parameter based on the second signal, wherein the second signal comprises a cardiac function, a system oxygenation, a cerebral oxygenation, or a system circulation or any combination thereof;

compute at least one parameter relating to the CO 2 waveform, wherein the CO 2 waveform comprises a slope of a CO 2 concentration curve, an angle of rise, a time to rise, run time of the rise, curvature, acceleration, area under the curve, and any combination of these parameters;

determine a change in the at least one parameter relating to the CO 2 waveform over the consecutive time intervals;

determine a change in the at least one additional parameter over the consecutive time intervals;

identify an improvement, lack of change or deterioration in a respiratory status based on the determined change in the at least one parameter relating to the CO 2 waveform;

identify an improvement, lack of change or deterioration in a vital sign of the patient based on an integrated analysis of the determined change in the at least one additional parameter and on a change in end-tidal CO 2 (EtCO 2 ) values obtained over the consecutive time intervals;

determine a degree of severity of the respiratory disorder based on the improvement, lack of change or deterioration in the respiratory status and in the vital sign;

determine that the patient has a severe respiratory disorder based at least in part on the degree of severity; and

provide an instruction to the display to provide an alert in response to the determination that the patient has the severe respiratory disorder; and

a display configured to display the alert in response to the determination that the patient has the severe respiratory disorder.

19. The system of claim 18 , comprising the capnography and the second sensing unit, wherein the second sensing unit comprises an ECG comprising electrodes positioned on a chest of the patient, a pulse oximeter comprising the sensor positioned on a finger of the patient, a cerebral oximeter comprising the sensor positioned on a forehead of the patient, an NIBP comprising a cuff positioned on an arm of the patient, or any combination thereof.