Liberal upper alarm limits set 15-20 mmHg above targets and brief tolerance for subtarget values systematically enable upward mean arterial pressure drift in patients on vasopressors.
Asymmetric nursing management practices, including liberal upper alarm limits, explain the persistent gap between prescribed and achieved mean arterial pressure targets in critically ill patients.
Liberal upper alarm limits set 15-20 mmHg above prescribed MAP targets, combined with brief tolerance for subtarget values, create asymmetric management practices that systematically enable upward MAP drift and explain the persistent gap between prescribed and achieved targets.
White et al. (2026) studied this question. Liberal upper alarm limits set 15-20 mmHg above targets and brief tolerance for subtarget values systematically enable upward mean arterial pressure drift in patients on vasopressors.