The future of Syringe Infusion: What's New in an Old Application? A Manufacturer's Q&A.
Pharmacists and nurses have used syringe infusers for intermittent small-volume parenteral infusion for more than 20 years. Clinical benefits, cost savings and enhanced patient safety are a few of the advantages of syringe infusion for healthcare providers. Following is a discussion of some of the key issues for facilities considering a switch to this tried and true method of IV drug delivery.
(PRWEB) January 11, 2004 --Q:Why does syringe infusion make sense now?
A: Syringe infusion provides a higher quality clinical outcome, using less nursing labor, for substantially lower material costs. Using syringes eliminates high proprietary drug and container costs, and allows pharmacies to buy economical bulk generic drug vials, reducing or eliminating minibag costs. Hundreds of millions of syringe infusion doses in the United States alone over the past 20 years continues to validate the clinical, operational and economic advantages of syringe infusion.
Q: Everyone certainly isn't on syringe infusion now. What have been the biggest historical barriers to syringe preparation?
A: The labor required to make the syringes is probably at the top of the list. Syringe filling can be tedious and adding the label can be a time-consuming secondary step. One of the changes in technology has been the introduction of the The Rapid-Fill( Automated Syringe Filler (ASF). Designed to automate sterile batch syringe filling, the ASF completes the filling, capping and labeling steps consistently, efficiently and aseptically. The ASF is the biggest single breakthrough in syringe infusion since the pharmacy dispensing pumps and bulk syringe trays of the mid 1980's.
Q: What are some of the most common applications for the Rapid-Fill ASF?
A: Any of the many drugs appropriate for syringe infusion would be ideal candidates for the Rapid-Fill ASF. These include most antibiotics, H2 antagonists and many anti-emetic, cardiovascular, and corticosteroid drugs. IV catheter flushes and specialty applications in areas like surgery that require large quantities of standardized IV solutions are also excellent candidates for the ASF's efficiency. Of course, the ASF can prepare any 12 mL syringe that would be required in an IV push program.
Q: What size syringes are supported by the Rapid-Fill( Automated Syringe Filler (ASF)?
A: 12 mL sterile syringes are available now. More syringe sizes and types are planned for the future.
Q: Would preparing just 12 mL syringes be enough to really help me implement a syringe infusion program?
A: Yes. Experience has shown that about 55% of standard hospital doses are infused in 10 mL volumes, about 20% in 20 mL, 15% in 30 mL and maybe 5% in 50 mL syringe sizes. The majority of those 10 mL doses would be good applications for the ASF in most medium and large sized institutions.
Q: What would I do with the extra time?
A: Extra time hasn't been a big concern in pharmacy for a long, long time. Freeing up IV technicians does offer some potentially tantalizing opportunities to decrease costly IV drug waste and provide other IV admixture services that should be done.
Q: What other products are available to support the effective implementation of a syringe infusion system?
A: Baxa offers a complete system to ensure that pharmacies are successful in implementing syringe infusion - from the MicroFuse( Syringe Infuser to comprehensive reference manuals, inservice training videos for nurses and outpatients and specialized IV admixture products. These include devices such as syringe tip caps, specialty needles and vents, the Repeater( Pump for IV fluid transfer, collection bags and many more.
Q: Where can I find out more?
A: Baxa Corporation has been a proponent of syringe infusion for many years. Visit their web site at www.baxa.com or call Baxa Customer Service at 800.567.BAXA (2292) to learn more about syringe infusion systems and devices.
About Baxa Corporation
As a leading provider of devices and systems for the preparation, handling, packaging, and administration of liquid medications, Baxa manufactures and markets a wide range of healthcare products for use in hospitals, critical care units and alternate-site pharmacies. Headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, Baxa has subsidiaries and sales offices in Canada, the United Kingdom; Denmark, and Germany; and distribution partners worldwide. Further information is available at http://www.baxa.com.
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Contacts:
Marian Robinson, Vice President, Marketing Baxa Corporation: 800.567.2292 ext. 2157 or 303.617.2157 Email: marian.robinson@baxa.com
Maggie Chamberlin Holben, APR, Absolutely Public Relations: 303.984.9801 or 303.669.3558 Email: maggie@absolutelypr.com
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