POST-OPERATIVE MONITORING

Apart from a more or less expensive and complicated system the postoperative monitoring demands more and not less personnel. This staff must be specially trained and the system has to be adapted to the staffs quality and quantity. The higher risk induced by using invasive methods must be in balanced relationship to the information. There is no universal system for all patients. Safety as well as the question of responsibility in cases of failure are of great importance. The primary and consequential cost are still considerable at present. Unless the necessary prerequisites for personnel, economical and humanitarian considerations are fulfilled one has to remain rather sceptical towards this method of monitoring. © 1979 Springer-Verlag.