ACCORDING TO THE INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES, more than 7,000 patients die each year because of medication errors. Mistakes can occur anywhere in the medication-use system, from prescribing to administering a drug in a variety of settings. Such statistics prompted JCAHO to add a medication labeling requirement to the 2006 National Patient Safety Goals, and it's made quite a splash.
Section 3D of the goals now calls for "labeling all medications, medication containers (syringes, medicine cups and basins), or other solutions on and off the sterile field in perioperative and other procedural settings." It seems manufacturers sat up and took notice, as this section features four new types of sterile utility markers for meeting labeling standards, from Aspen Surgical and Viscot Medical. Many of the markers come as part of packages that also include labels specially designed to record information about medications and other solutions. In addition, Cardinal and Medline and Xodus Medical have devised their own lines of labels tailored to helping you get in step with JCAHO.
Whether a perioperative nurse is using the syringe for medication or using an asepto or bulb syringe for irrigation solutions, the syringe itself should be labeled, as should the basin containing the solution. When labeling aseptos or bulb syringes on the sterile field, either apply commercially preprinted or hand-written medication labels to the asepto or bulb syringe or write directly on the asepto or bulb syringe with an indelible marker.
Sterile preprinted or hand-written medication labels may adhere best to aseptos because there's more flat surface on the cylinder of the syringe on which to apply the label. Labels may not adhere to bulb syringes because the surface is round, flexible and often has ridges. Labels that don't adhere adequately to the bulb syringe could increase the risks of leaving foreign bodies in the surgical wound. Labels will adhere best if the syringe is kept dry, so it may be helpful to set the syringe at the side of the basin rather than leaving it immersed in the solution when it's not in use. Using a sterile indelible marker to write directly on the bulb may be a more suitable strategy for labeling bulb syringes.
Sterile markers used for labeling medication containers on the sterile field should be in sterile packages that allow aseptic transfer to the sterile field.
|
 Aspen Surgical
WriteSite stamps, markers and pens
Richard-Allan utility markers
(888) 364-7004
www.aspensurgical.com
List Price: WriteSite stamps, $1 each; WriteSite marking pens, 35 cents each; WriteSite markers, $1.50 each (without labels) Richard-Allan fine- and regular-tip markers, 71 cents each (without labels)
All your ink needs, covered. Aspen Surgical has extended its line of WriteSite products to include the WriteSite Yes Stamp, which provides a clear and easy method for marking the surgical site - just ink and stamp; the WriteSite Pre-operative Marking Pen, a disposable, cost-effective method for marking the site; and the WriteSite Multi-Ink Marker, which has one end for writing on patients' skin and another for utility purposes. The company also has fine- and regular-tip Richard-Allan Utility Markers to identify instruments, specimens and other objects in and out of the sterile field.
| |
Cardinal Health
Presource Standard Medication Labels
(800) 964-5227
www.cardinalhealth.com
List Price: Not provided
Standardize medication labeling throughout your facility. Cardinal Health now offers Presource Standard Medication Label Sheets to help you comply with JCAHO's medication labeling requirements. The wide range of label sheets are all waterproof and sterile, so they can be placed in custom procedure packs or purchased as single items. In addition to OR versions, there are labels designed for labor and delivery, and catheterization and electrophysiology labs. Presource labels are with and without a location for date and initials to meet each hospital's individual implementation plans.
|
|
CheckSite Medical
ID Bracelet
(314) 667-5720
www.checksitemedical.com
List Price: Detectors cost $7,000 to $8,000; pen sets cost $2.50
A loud reminder of wrong-site surgery. The CheckSite wristband is embedded with a chip that will trigger a retail-style security detector installed between pre-op and the OR if a member of the surgical team hasn't marked the surgical site with a pen, peeled off a specialized sticker and placed it on the wristband, which neutralizes the chip and lets the patient pass through the sentry without activating the reminder signal.
| |
CIVCO Medical Solutions
The Barzell CollectEvac
(800) 445-6741
www.civco.com
List Price: Not provided
Safe tissue collection. CIVCO's Barzell CollectEvac is designed to perform dual irrigating and tissue straining/collecting functions during transurethral bladder and prostate surgery, according to the company. The system is completely secure, locking in tissue samples for clean transfer to a pathology specimen jar. This feature, says CIVCO, controls cross-contamination risks. The product is packaged sterile and requires minimal assembly, says CIVCO.
|
|
ConMed Electrosurgery
UltraClean Suction Coagulators
(303) 699-7600
www.conmed.com
List Price: Not provided
Prevent char build-up on cannulae. ConMed Electrosurgery introduces the latest in the UltraClean line of coated electrosurgical instruments, UltraClean suction coagulators. When compared to standard aluminum cannula suction coagulators, UltraClean suction coagulators demonstrate a marked decrease in char accumulation. By allowing less char to build up on the coated surface, the likelihood for tissue stick may be reduced, creating a more uniform surface. The suction coagulators are available in both foot and hand control in three French sizes.
| |
DiSorb Systems, Inc.
SafeSorb Tube
(215) 743-7570
www.safesorb.com
List Price: SafeSorb Tube for up to 800ccs, $90 per case of 96; for up to 1,500ccs, $86.40 per case of 48
Help for liquid medical waste disposal. Solidifying medical waste fluid lets you dispose of it more safely and efficiently. DiSorb's new SafeSorb, available for the first time as the SafeSorb Tube, is said to be the fastest and safest medical waste fluid solidifier. It's the only solidifier in a 1500cc water-soluble paper, the most common size suction canister, and the only one designed to be added to a suction canister before the procedure starts. So there's no need to open a port on the canister lid at the end of the procedure when the canister is full of biohazardous waste. SafeSorb won't impact the fluid volume indicated or the weight of the canister, so it won't cost you more to use it.
|
|
Health Care Logistics
Correct Site Tattoos
Operative Site Adhesive Labels
(800) 848-1633
www.healthcarelogistics.com
List Price: Cartoon character tattoos are $62.01 to $68.90 per package of 100, depending on quantity. Green and white text tattoos are $31.05 to $39.50 per package of 50. Operative Site Adhesive Labels cost $6 per roll of 500.
Tattoos and labels aid wrong-site surgery prevention. Dinosaurs, a mouse and an elephant can help prevent wrong-site surgery in pediatric cases when you use Correct Site Tattoos. The cartoon drawing tattoos, one inch in diameter, include the words "correct site" and "yes." Also available are Operative Site Adhesive Labels for patient charts.
|
|
Medline
Sterile Labels
(800) MEDLINE
www.medline.com
List Price: Not provided
Sterile labels for the OR. Medline's Sterile Labels for the OR sport an advanced adhesive that lets them stay sticky after sterilization, even if they get wet. They come in blank and pre-printed styles. A special coating prevents ink from smearing when the labels get wet and lets you write easily. Labels include a line for the name and strength of the medication, the date of the procedure, and initials of the person preparing the labels.
|
|
OP-Marks
Surgical Site Mini Markers
(866) 307-2757
www.opmarks.com
List Price: $90 for 250 markers
Mark the site with infection control in mind. OP-Marks Mini Markers can help you prevent wrong-site surgery and maintain infection control standards, says the company. The single-use skin markers contain FDA-approved gentian violet ink; they're not indelible markers, so they don't cause the complications associated with indelible ink, such as topical skin reactions. The ink is optimized for writing initials on skin, and can be used with stencils to produce uniform, large and small "YES" markings.
| |
Precision Dynamics Corporation
Securline Short Stay LabelBand
(800) 772-1122
www.pdcorp.com
List Price: Bands list for 15 cents each.
Wristbands tailored for the short-stay patient. Designed particularly for short-stay patients, Securline Short Stay LabelBand feature a clear adhesive shield and tough construction. These wristbands offer bar code scanning and protection from water, solvents and other abrasives, says the company.
|
|
Surgimedics
Surgifresh Mini Turbo Smoke Evacuator
(800) 645-7418
www.surgimedics.com
List Price: Not provided
Faster, quieter smoke evacuation. Ridding the OR of the toxic gases, vapors and odors released into the air during ESU and laser procedures is necessary for protecting staff health, but is not always done because it's "too noisy" or "gets in the way." Surgimedics may have an answer to those complaints: The lightweight, ultra-quiet Surgifresh Mini Turbo Smoke Evacuator clears the air of smoke plume and debris and is ideal for ORs, aesthetic centers, clinics and office-based surgical facilities. The unit's turbo feature delivers an extra burst of power to maximize suction capacity when needed. Available options allow for hands-free operation and easy portability.
| |
Viscot Medical
Vismark Residue-free
Medication Labels and Kits
(800) 221-0658
www.viscot.com
List Price: Marking kits, $250 per case of 100; sheet of 10 blank labels, $175 per case of 100 sheets; sheets of 16 printed and four blank labels, $175 per case of 100 sheets
All-in-one medication marking. Vismark Residue-free Medication Labels and Kits come with everything you need to mark and label syringes, medicine cups, basins and more: printed sterile labels for the most common medications in color or black-and-white with a sterile waterproof permanent marker; or sterile blank labels with a waterproof permanent marker. The marking kits come in several variations, though all include one sterile fine-tip waterproof permanent marker: with 20 black-and-white residue-free labels (16 printed, four blank) with 20 color residue-free labels (16 printed, four blank) and with 10 blank residue-free labels.
|
|
Viscot Medical
Pre-Surgical Skin Marker-Mini
(800) 221-0658
www.viscot.com
List Price: Non-sterile in two plastic containers of 100, $50 per case; non-sterile in 10 plastic containers of 100, $195 per case
Surgical site marking made more economical. Viscot Medical's non-sterile, scrub-resistant Pre-Surgical Skin Marker-Mini pens provide an easy way to mark patients before surgery, thus helping you comply with the Universal Protocol for correct-site marking before surgery. These single-patient-use markers, which come in regular- or fine-tipped versions, provide an economical alternative to opening a sterile package, the company says. Viscot Medical provides 100-marker-capacity plastic containers suitable for the pre-surgical holding area.
| |
Xodus Medical
Patient SAF-T Label System
(800) 963-8776
www.ORmedlabels.com
List Price: Range from $1.50 to $2.50 per pack of labels, depending on sheet quantity
Customizable med labels. Xodus Medical says you can customize its Patient Saf-T Label System labels to meet your needs, including options for printed or blank labels, label size and background and text color. The coated labels resist ink smudging or wet label peeling, says the company. A permanent marker designed for use with the labels is included.
|
.svg?sfvrsn=be606e78_3)
.svg?sfvrsn=56b2f850_5)