Alaris® PCA therapy
The right result: before, during and after
Mounting evidence of safety issues and medication errors have been reported by the Institute for Safe Medication Practice (ISMP
1), JCAHO
2 and others. Over-sedation and respiratory depression represent the most serious potential adverse effects associated with opioid delivery, indicating potential for harm at all stages of PCA delivery. This creates the need for technology that protects the patient throughout the duration of therapy, with the
right programming, right monitoring and
right feedback.
The Alaris® System - safety throughout the duration of PCA therapy
Before - right programming:
- The Alaris® Auto-ID module confirms the right drug, right dose and right patient,
while also capturing patient and clinician ID for eMAR documentation
- Provides a common user interface for all infusion and monitoring modules, streamlining clinical workflow at the point of care and reducing training time
- Guardrails® software provides protection for standard order sets, with starting values for all PCA programs
- Prefilled syringe solutions with a wide range of non-dedicated syringe, drug and concentration options
During - right monitoring:
- EtCO2 monitoring module can be added for breath-to-breath ventilation level and respiratory rate
- SpO2 monitoring module can be added for oxygen saturation level and pulse rate
- Provides a safety net for risk factors not covered by programming safety and bar coding, such as undiagnosed conditions and PCA by proxy
- Monitoring can alert caregivers to early indications of potentially serious respiratory events
- Offers unique ability for the clinician to automatically pause PCA infusion if a patient falls below your hospital-defined respiratory limits
After - right feedback:
- Captures patient PCA dose history with corresponding oxygenation and respiratory levels throughout the post-operative stay
- Provides tools to convert raw data into meaningful and actionable information, supporting JCAHO initiatives for improving medication processes and practices
- IT centric approach - future vision*
- Wireless access to real-time patient trending data
- Infusion and monitoring alarms relayed to appropriate caregivers anywhere in the hospital
- Automated eMAR and flowsheet documentation
- Order verification and waste documentation
*Cardinal Health cannot guarantee the commercial availability of future products.
1 "Safety Issues with Patient-Controlled Analgesia, Part I: How do Errors Occur" ISMP Medication Safety Alert, Nurse Advise-ERR. January 2005, Volume 3, Issue 1.
2 JCAHO Sentinel Event Alert, Issue 33.
