New jack-of-all-trades IV pump hits market
When it came time for Children’s Home Health Care, of Omaha, NE, to buy more infusion pumps, it needed a device that could provide multiple uses for Children’s diverse patient base. And after taking part in a six-week market study for SIMS Deltec, a Minneapolis, MN- based pump manufacturer, it had found its pump in the new SIMS Deltec CADD-Prizm VIP [variable infusion profile] pump.
The portable pump, placed on the market in December, allows for continuous, intermittent, total parenteral nutrition, or pad-controlled deliveries. It’s also designed with patient convenience in mind, which is what Lori Dahlke, PharmD, and the pharmacy manager for Children’s Home Health, says sets the pump apart from other products.
"We essentially like it, number one, for the intermittent patients," says Dahlke. "A child who was going to get antibiotics every six hours or four hours, you can put a whole day’s supply in a cassette or a bag, and then you can set the pump to go off every four hours or every six hours to deliver the dose. In between, it delivers just a little bit to keep the line open."
She adds that the pump has screens that prompt the user along, in addition to a useful booklet providing further instruction for caregivers. But it’s not just patients and their families who have benefited.
"They’re so easy to use, I’m sure they save time [for Children’s] because it cuts down on repeat phone calls and questions," she says.
It also can help address concerns regarding patient care. The pump allows you to connect a printer and download information from the pump.
"It will store the last 500 things the pump did," notes Dahlke. "When you turned it on, when you turned it off, when the pump ran. It’s very good for patient compliance."
For example, the agency recently wasn’t sure if a patient was getting his therapy as often as necessary. After plugging in the printer and receiving the information, they found the child was getting his infusion two or three times a week, instead of the prescribed five.
"You can’t lie about it because you plug the printer in, and it tells you," says Dahlke. "We in turn can provide that information to the doctor."
The only problem the agency has found with the VIP pump is its weight. It is about a pound more than its predecessor. For most patients, that wouldn’t be a problem. But when dealing with children, an extra pound can be a big difference.
"We had one little boy who was small for his age," notes Dahlke. "The mom and dad felt like it was a little too heavy for him to carry around, so we went to the CADD-Plus because it was a little lighter."
The cost for the VIP pump is listed as $4,395, although SIMS says the price is negotiable. Children’s Home Health bought the pumps for about $3,000.
For more information, contact SIMS Deltec at (612) 633-2556.
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