St. Luke's implements 'smart pump' system
By Joanne Foxjfox@siouxcityjournal.com | Posted: Thursday, November 20, 2008
Jennifer Peterson, a registered nurse with St. Luke's Regional Medical Center, demonstrates how an IV will hook up to a new infusion system that evaluates and monitors intravenous medications and solutions. (Staff photo by Jim Lee)
One hates to think about errors occurring in health care, but mistakes do happen and the results may have dire consequences.
According to the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, incorrectly programming IV pumps is one of the most common types of medication errors. But one Sioux City hospital has implemented a process that will virtually eliminate those types of miscalculations.
St. Luke's Regional Medical Center, along with all of Iowa Health System's affiliate hospitals, has converted its infusion pumps to a new infusion system. Infusion pumps are used to administer intravenous medications and solutions. St. Luke's is the first healthcare facility in the area to implement these new types of pumps.
"It's referred to as a 'smart pump,'" explained Jennifer Peterson, a registered nurse, on the staff of the hospital. "What it will do is identify and correct dosage errors, thus improving patient safety."
For example, if a patient needs the antibiotic Levaquin, a medication that is typically used to treat bacterial infections, the infusion pump will control the dosage to insure that side effects such as difficulty breathing; swelling or a pounding heartbeat won't occur.
"Any time you are working with medications, be it orally or through an IV, there is the risk of human error," said Peterson. "This technology almost totally eliminates the chance of something going wrong."
"It's all based on keeping the patient safe," explained Mike Padomek, St. Luke's pharmacist. "If a programming error should occur, the machine will ask if the dosage is correct and will actually not allow a dosage to be entered it it's outside certain parameters."
"It will even ask if the medication is the right one to be prescribed with the question, 'Are you sure this is correct?'," Peterson added. "It would allow a nurse to double-check a dosage with a physician if the machine is saying something isn't quite right."
Nothing is done with just one entry, Padomek clarified.
"The provider has to go through at least two or three screens before the medication will be dispensed from the IV," he said. "It's a very deliberate process."
But how does it know what's right or wrong? Peterson and Padomek spent a good amount of time first learning the system and then putting in the data that the pump would use in evaluating dosages.
"We put all of the information on the drugs and medications into the system with the safety parameters," Peterson said. "There's also a 'library' that has information on the drugs and how they interact with one another. As new meds come out, they will be included."
The system will generate reports showing the types of drugs that are being prescribed and in what dosage.
"This is an area that we will look at particularly in the Intensive Care Unit and surgery areas," Peterson said.
Padomek estimated the cost of implement the new infusion pumps across the Iowa Health System came with a $4 million price tag.
"It's an investment," he said. "We all strive to be safe with our patients and this new smart pump will insure that."
According to the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, incorrectly programming IV pumps is one of the most common types of medication errors. But one Sioux City hospital has implemented a process that will virtually eliminate those types of miscalculations.
St. Luke's Regional Medical Center, along with all of Iowa Health System's affiliate hospitals, has converted its infusion pumps to a new infusion system. Infusion pumps are used to administer intravenous medications and solutions. St. Luke's is the first healthcare facility in the area to implement these new types of pumps.
"It's referred to as a 'smart pump,'" explained Jennifer Peterson, a registered nurse, on the staff of the hospital. "What it will do is identify and correct dosage errors, thus improving patient safety."
For example, if a patient needs the antibiotic Levaquin, a medication that is typically used to treat bacterial infections, the infusion pump will control the dosage to insure that side effects such as difficulty breathing; swelling or a pounding heartbeat won't occur.
"Any time you are working with medications, be it orally or through an IV, there is the risk of human error," said Peterson. "This technology almost totally eliminates the chance of something going wrong."
"It's all based on keeping the patient safe," explained Mike Padomek, St. Luke's pharmacist. "If a programming error should occur, the machine will ask if the dosage is correct and will actually not allow a dosage to be entered it it's outside certain parameters."
"It will even ask if the medication is the right one to be prescribed with the question, 'Are you sure this is correct?'," Peterson added. "It would allow a nurse to double-check a dosage with a physician if the machine is saying something isn't quite right."
Nothing is done with just one entry, Padomek clarified.
"The provider has to go through at least two or three screens before the medication will be dispensed from the IV," he said. "It's a very deliberate process."
But how does it know what's right or wrong? Peterson and Padomek spent a good amount of time first learning the system and then putting in the data that the pump would use in evaluating dosages.
"We put all of the information on the drugs and medications into the system with the safety parameters," Peterson said. "There's also a 'library' that has information on the drugs and how they interact with one another. As new meds come out, they will be included."
The system will generate reports showing the types of drugs that are being prescribed and in what dosage.
"This is an area that we will look at particularly in the Intensive Care Unit and surgery areas," Peterson said.
Padomek estimated the cost of implement the new infusion pumps across the Iowa Health System came with a $4 million price tag.
"It's an investment," he said. "We all strive to be safe with our patients and this new smart pump will insure that."
