DEERFIELD, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Baxter International (NYSE: BAX) this week announced the results of a
retrospective analysis of data from Sigma Spectrum Infusion System pumps
that found 90 percent of programming events with intravenous (IV)
''high-alert'' drugs are titrations – dose or rate changes made after
the infusion has started. Titration (a dose/rate change) helps avoid
potential overdoses or adverse events by starting patients on a
medication at the lowest possible dose and increasing the dose over time
until the desired therapeutic effect is achieved. High-alert medications
include drugs such as anesthetics, cardiovascular agents and insulin
that carry a larger risk of causing patient harm when used in error.
These data were presented during a poster session at INS 2016, the
annual meeting of the Infusion Nurses Society, in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
''There are no current published data on the frequency of titration
programming,'' said study co-author Shannon Kayler, RN, BSN, of Baxter's
fluid systems franchise. ''Therefore these data will provide vital
context in helping guide effective infusion practices that maximize
patient safety.''
The analysis evaluated infusion pump data from 20,542 Sigma Spectrum pumps
located at 45 hospital sites in the United States and included six
months of data per site, which was gathered within the timeframe of
October 2014 to July 2015.
Infusions in the study were of high-alert IV medications with more than
2,000 initial infusion programming starts. The study targeted adult
patient care in the areas of critical care, operating room, and
anesthesia. The most frequently titrated drug in the analysis was
norepinephrine, which is used to treat hypotension (low blood pressure)
and was titrated on average approximately 15 times during an active
infusion, presenting 15 distinct opportunities for programming errors.
Other drugs with eight or more titrations per infusion included insulin
(11); phenylephrine (10); propofol (9); and epinephrine (8).
Sigma Spectrum Infusion System uses drug libraries to alert clinicians
of potential errors before an infusion starts, and is the only pump to
include a built-in titration error prevention feature (with Single-Step
Dose or Rate Change Limits) to help clinicians protect high-risk
infusions during titrations.
''These findings suggest there are multiple opportunities for
programming errors to occur during titrations, and emphasize the
importance of using protocols and systems to protect against these
errors, particularly when infusing high-alert medications,'' said study
co-author Timothy Hoh, RPh, also of Baxter's fluid systems franchise.
''Most infusion pumps are not designed to identify errors during
titrations.''
About Baxter
Baxter provides a broad portfolio of essential renal and hospital
products, including home, acute and in-center dialysis; sterile IV
solutions; infusion systems and devices; parenteral nutrition;
biosurgery products and anesthetics; and pharmacy automation, software
and services. The company's global footprint and the critical nature of
its products and services play a key role in expanding access to
healthcare in emerging and developed countries. Baxter's employees
worldwide are building upon the company's rich heritage of medical
breakthroughs to advance the next generation of healthcare innovations
that enable patient care.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release includes forward-looking statements concerning potential
benefits associated with the use of the Sigma Spectrum Infusion System.
The statements are based on assumptions about many important factors,
including the following, which could cause actual results to differ
materially from those in the forward-looking statements: demand for and
market acceptance of risks for new and existing products, and the impact
of those products on quality or patient safety concerns; product
development risks; product quality or patient safety concerns; the
impact of competitive products and pricing, including disruptive
technologies; breaches or failures of the company's information
technology systems; and other risks identified in Baxter's most recent
filing on Form 10-K and other SEC filings, all of which are available on
Baxter's website. Baxter does not undertake to update its
forward-looking statements.
Sigma Spectrum Infusion System is Rx Only. For the safe and proper use
of the device, refer to the appropriate owner's manual.
BAXTER and SIGMA Spectrum are trademarks of Baxter International Inc.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160518005678/en/
