In a MedLite study, 60% of infusions contained one or more errors.
Misidentifying an infusion - or not identifying a line quickly enough - can have serious consequences. When managing multiple IV infusions, nurses must be able to quickly identify the contents, location, and infusion pump parameters for each line. hospitals $96-$147 billion annually in direct and indirect costs, with central-line-associated bloodstream infections adding the most cost at $45,814 per case.Ī better solution is needed to help clearly identify the main infusion line and avoid the costs that come with an error. This method of infusion identification can actually lead to a healthcare-acquired infection (HAI). The study concluded that 80% of the used rolls of medical tape tested were positive for pathogens - and 16 of the 36 bacteria and fungus found were pathogenic. While these efforts do make some improvements to the IV setup, it is still not ideal.įor instance, a lab study conducted by MedLite explored the existence of pathogens in medical tape. They also use special clips to align the tubes and keep them together for less tangle. Knowing which line is the safe line is imperative when having to inject a life-saving drug.Ĭurrently, many nurses label their tubes with medical tape to help them identify the correct line. When minutes matter and you’re in this high-stress situation, infusion confusion is very likely to occur. their blood pressure gets dangerously low or their heart stops), you have a team of people rush into the room. This is when having a clearly identified infusion line is critical. Depending on the half-life and necessary ccs per minute/hour of the medication, nurses are required to change infusions several times per shift. Some medications, like those for blood pressure and sedatives, need to titrate up and down throughout the day. This is especially true when it comes to administering intermittent medication. These challenges make line tracing increasingly exigent. IV tubing tends to look similar - considering they all contain a clear or white fluid - and IV lines do not line up with their associated pumps. If they are unfamiliar with the patient, it can take up to five minutes or so to trace and assure the IV line is an infusion line and not a drip. The lines become easily entwined, reflecting the notion of “spaghetti syndrome.” Having so many drips can be very difficult to manage for healthcare professionals. A patient can have five-seven lines in at a time, though the number can be upwards of 15 in certain situations. Infusion confusion, in plain terms, is a tangled mess of IV lines.
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