New Pumps Increase Patient Safety

On October 25, 2022, SLV Health updated all infusion pumps across the entire organization, improving safety for patients and ease of use for nurses.  

These new pumps, Fresenius Kabi’s Ivenix™ Infusion System, provide adaptive fluid delivery, boost efficiency, and advance interoperability.  

Brittany Sours, nurse and professional development specialist, said SLV Health is the first organization west of Witchita, KS to utilize the pumps. She also mentioned that they’re much easier to use than the old ones, with touch screen technology and an easy-to-read display. 

However, the most important reason SLV Health decided to update all the pumps throughout the organization is due to the infusion system’s emphasis on patient safety. 

The pump allows nurses to receive alerts for soft and hard limits on medication dosages. This allows for better control of safety and ensures patients receive the correct doses. The interoperability, exchanging information digitally, also ensures all the patient information is uploaded into the system and reduces the possibility of human error.    

Loretta Myers, BSN, RN, of Fresenius Kabi, said she believes another important feature of the pumps is the “infuse to empty.” Essentially, this feature guarantees that the patient will get the exact amount of medication needed within the correct amount of time. With the old pumps, nurses would have to measure it manually. 

“We’re just excited to work with [SLV Health], they’ve been a great group to work with,” said Myers. “I’ve worked with a lot of customers, and they want to do the right thing and have the highest standards. They want to do what is the best practice for the best outcomes for patients and that is very obvious here. They’ve worked hard to make sure that’s what they’re doing.”