Valencia-based PDC, a global leader of identification and patient safety solutions, announced recently the launch of Ident-Alert IV Port Clips for hospitals and health care providers.
Developed with anesthesiologist Dr. Christopher Walters, these colored clips attach to IV injection ports to visually alert an anesthesiologist of medication allergies, instructions or special conditions of surgical patients.
Medication errors can lead to adverse drug events ADE and are responsible for 7,000 deaths in U.S. hospitals per year, while errors also increase the length of stay and medical costs, while reducing reimbursements for providers, according to a PDC news release.
Walters identified a need for an additional alert for anesthesiologists prior to injecting medications into an IV port that would be seen at the port site.
“Anesthesiology is a very unique field where we’re taking medication from the vial and going right to the port where there’s currently no physical reminder,” Walters said in a prepared statement. “We’re constantly under pressure and moving fast. The IV Port Clip cues your memory, shakes you out of any routine and stops you from making an error.”
Ident-Alert IV Port Clips are highly visible and made of durable, pliable plastic to securely attach directly onto IV lines.
The Ident-Alert IV Port Clips are available in six colors and can be used for color-coding to align with other alert systems that hospitals have in place, such as alert wristbands and labels.
Abbreviated instructions can also be written directly on the clips.
The clips are FDA 21 CFR 175,105 designated with no toxins or harsh chemicals.
“Implementing the clips can help prevent IV medication administration errors,” Lisa Kim, product manager at PDC, added in the statement. “The Ident-Alert IV Port Clips are a simple solution at a low cost that can have a significant impact in preventing human errors. We think this will become accepted as a new standard of care to increase patient safety within hospitals.”
