Integration of numeric and symbolic data for clinical use in operating theatres

A major aspect of anaesthetists´ work is that of maintaining adequate levels of unconsciousness during surgery in operating theatres. Assessment of unconsciousness is a complex matter, and involves the use of multiple clinical signs including objective measurements and subjective indicators. The research reported involves the development of an expert system called RESAC (real-time expert system for advice and control) which advises anaesthetists on patient´s depth of anaesthesia during an operation. It also gives suggested control actions required to maintain suitable levels of surgical anaesthesia. The merging of the clinical numeric and symbolic data in real-time is performed by RESAC, which runs on the inexpensive Atari ST range of computers