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Sean Ruck, Contributing Editor | April 29, 2014
From the April 2014 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine
“For example, on an abdomen contrast-enhanced procedure using 80ml contrast and 50ml of saline, if that patient has great vascular output and the technologist can get by with 60ml of contrast, they can bypass straight to the saline jump to complete the procedure, says Hung. “It allows the technologist to use the optimal amount of contrast required.”
Bracco received four-star recognition for general safety from ECRI Institute for the EmpowerCTA. “The base configuration of the EmpowerCTA was rated highest in safety by ECRI out of three with the other two being the Medrad Stellant D and what was then the Covidien Optivantage,” says Jason Launders, director of operations at ECRI Institute.
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Launders says the criteria focused on making sure users follow proper steps to prime, addressing extravasation and air embolisation and integration with other systems. The other main player, Bayer, actually did slightly better on proper steps to prime. But integration and documentation are standard on Bracco’s product, which helped make the fourth star possible. It’s only optional on Medrad’s product.
Medrad Solaris, image
courtesy of Bayer HealthCare
However, when all the options were added in, Bayer and Bracco were rated equally at five stars. “What Medrad was doing and is still doing and what Bracco is following is the use of heart rate, respiration, the actual exams they’re trying to accomplish — they’re programming that all in and then the optimum parameters for that specific patient can be worked out,” says Launders.
As for Covidien’s machine, the Optivantage is now offered by Mallinckrodt after Covidien completed a spinoff of the pharma company in June of 2013.
Introducing integration
While patient safety is important, problems are rare enough that they don’t justify the purchase of new injectors for most facilities, especially in the current cost-cutting climate facilities are living in. Instead, efficiency that can increase patient throughput and, by extension, profitability, is a driving factor. Currently, one way efficiency can be ratcheted up is through improvements to equipment integration.
