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Wisconsin Hospital Combats Medication Errors,
Needlestick Injuries and PVC/DEHP Exposure
Through the Use of B. Braun Safety Products
B. Braun Recognizes Grant Regional Health Center as a Center of Excellence in Safety
Bethlehem, PA (March 13, 2003) – B. Braun Medical Inc. today announced that Grant Regional Health Center, a community hospital located in Lancaster, WI, has converted its entire facility to B. Braun's safety-engineered products in an effort to address three major issues facing healthcare: medication errors, accidental needlestick injuries and the potential dangers of PVC/DEHP exposure.
“We are committed to doing everything possible to improve the safety of our patients,” said Nicole Clapp, Director of Patient Care Services, Grant Regional Health Center. “There have been many recent national reports on the dangers of medication errors, needlesticks and the issue of PVC/DEHP in medical devices. By converting to B. Braun's safety products, we hope to reassure our patients that we have the tools to reduce the risk and provide safe, quality care.”
Grant Regional Health Center is one of the first hospitals in the U.S. to use the B. Braun Outlook™ 100 Safety Infusion System with DoseGuard™ software. According to a 2001 report from the Agency for Health Research and Quality, adverse drug events cause more than 770,000 injuries and deaths each year and cost up to $5.6M per hospital. Incorrectly programmed infusion devices are a major cause of IV medication errors. The most common error is manually programming infusion parameters into the device (e.g. rate, drug, dose, etc.).1 B. Braun's DoseGuard software helps prevent manual programming errors with dosed medications by notifying the clinician when dose limits are exceeded to help to reduce human error and enable hospitals to provide an unprecedented level of IV medication delivery safety for patients.
To help protect clinicians and patients from accidental needlestick injuries that can result in exposure to dangerous bloodborne pathogens (e.g. HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C), Grant Regional Health Center is using B. Braun's Introcan® Safety™ IV Catheter and ULTRASITE® Needle–Free IV System. The passive Introcan Safety IV Catheter is designed to minimize accidental needlesticks without requiring user activation. A stainless steel safety clip is used to shield the needle tip protecting both the patient and the clinician from injury. The ULTRASITE Needle-Free IV System eliminates the risk of accidental needlestick injuries when administering fluids and medications because a needle cannot be used with the ULTRASITE Needle-Free IV System.
To eliminate the potential risks associated with DEHP exposure from IV solution containers, Grant Regional Health Center has converted to B. Braun's EXCEL® and PAB® PVC–free/DEHP–free IV containers. Numerous animal studies indicate that exposure to DEHP may threaten male reproductive organs in the developing fetus, infant or toddler.2 In a recent public health notification, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) suggests health care workers should use non–PVC, non–DEHP alternative medical devices during a number of medical procedures. Today, B. Braun is the only U.S. manufacturer of a full line of basic IV solutions in PVC–free, DEHP–free containers.
“Through its efforts to address three major issues facing healthcare: medication errors, accidental needlestick injuries and the potential dangers of PVC/DEHP exposure, Grant Regional Health Center has proven itself to be a center of excellence in safety,” said Sheila Kempf, Vice President of Marketing for B. Braun Medical Inc. “By adopting B. Braun's cutting-edge, safety-engineered products, Grant Regional Health Center has established a safer environment for both patients and clinicians. This community hospital is an inspiration to healthcare facilities across the country.”
About B. Braun
With more than 28,000 employees worldwide, B. Braun is a full line supplier of innovative healthcare products & programs designed to improve both patient and clinician safety. Through its People, Products, and Programs - "Working Together for Excellence in Safety™" initiative, B. Braun promotes best practices and products for continuous improvement of safety.
Founded 160 years ago, B. Braun is proud of its longstanding tradition and commitment to delivering innovative healthcare products and programs with unmatched quality, superior technology, and cost-effectiveness, while maintaining environmental responsibility. For more information about B. Braun or its safety healthcare products, call 800-854-6851, or visit B. Braun at www.bbraunusa.com.
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