INFECTION PREVENTION
the healthcare supply chain network, already- stretched manufacturers may face additional challenges. It’s clear that healthcare suppliers will continue to fare differently as those that built additional supply early on may have an advantage in maintaining a consistent, reliable supply of essential infusion products to help healthcare providers weather this evolving storm. Also, the increased pres- sure to stockpile supplies has left many with limited space. As a result, many now rely on manufacturers and vendors, like ICU Medi- cal, to be more of a warehouse, supplying them timely as massive spikes in COVID-19 patients increase demand.”
Katie Szyman, Corporate Vice President, Critical Care, Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, CA, suggests that medical manufacturers must shift production accordingly in order to meet needs during the continuing crisis. “Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, our manufacturing sites were operating with 20 percent less employees while demand increased signifi cantly,” she said. “At the same time, the resources of even the most well-funded hospitals were, and still are, being strained as a result of the pandemic, limiting capital spending for the ICU. And, as the COVID case numbers go in ‘waves,’ so does a hospital’s ability to perform non- emergent procedures and the demand for the products needed to support them. It’s important for manufacturers to have a strong supply chain and fi eld team that is fl exible enough to support these rapidly changing needs.” For example, Szyman, added, “We saw that the COVID-19 pandemic caused hospi- tals to expand ICUs, which in turn created a high demand for critical care equipment, including products such as our HemoSphere advanced hemodynamic monitor, Swan
Ganz catheter, pressure transducers, etc. In a normal year, according to the CDC, the fl u season alone can impact up to 11 percent of the U.S. population. As hospitals work to treat patients with these two diseases, which both impact the respiratory system, we may see an even higher need for medical technolo- gies. This could lead to hospitals being once again overwhelmed and having to manage ICU space to care for critically ill patients.”
AI and data Technology, like artifi cial intelligence (AI), may become a greater resource in care, observes Szyman. “AI has been a buzzword for a while now, but I think we’re really starting to see some technologies come to market that are using AI wisely in a way that rapidly analyzes a lot of data to quickly give clinicians valuable information,” she explained. “A big focus for us is advancing our hemodynamic monitor- ing platforms with predictive software, and we are also evolving these systems to support remote monitoring, giving clinicians even more access to patient data beyond the bed- side. The move to less-invasive and nonin- vasive devices is another area that isn’t new, but the need is heightened by COVID-19.”
Adapting processes, settings Versatile care
Edwards
Lifesciences’ Swan Ganz catheter
As intensive care has risen during the COVID-19 pandemic, many hospitals have reallocated supplies and adjusted protocols and practices, addresses Niemeier. “One such practice change was to move infusion pumps away from the bedside and into the hallway, enabling clinicians to limit contact frequency and conserve critical PPE while treating COVID patients,” she indi- cated. “This also allows clinicians to easily manage multiple IV lines and infusions, especially those that contain life-sustaining medications for which even a brief pause in delivery could be tragic. To increase the length of IV tubing, multiple extra-long extension sets are connected together to reach the patient, which has resulted in skyrocket- ing demand for extension sets for this modi- fi ed workfl ow. In addition, the increased demand for additional IV accessories – fl uids and dedicated IV tubing, for example – has also increased.” She points to several examples of what has been valuable for safe and effective care in this era, including: • Accurate infusion drug delivery under changing clinical conditions – regardless of extension sets, position to the pump-to- patient, and viscosity of the medication;
• Remote clinical viewers that allow clini- cians to see their patient’s status, if alarm conditions exist, and help ensure life-
26 January 2021 • HEALTHCARE PURCHASING NEWS •
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sustaining infusions are not interrupted due to a low IV bag;
• The latest drug library updates – automati- cally delivered within minutes and without disruption to care; and
• The availability of clinical resources and educational materials on the pump, rein- forcing COVID safety guidelines and drug regimens, reducing confusion and provid- ing safer care. With regard to patient procedures, various supplies, equipment and modes may be used to support safety and infection prevention, explains Harrison Richards, Director of Marketing, IV Consumables, ICU Medical, San Clemente, CA.
“One option is using gravity IV sets with integrated manual fl ow controller devices,” Richards expressed. “These devices allow healthcare providers to administer medica- tions safely when access to IV pumps may be limited. While IV therapy is essential to COVID-19 patient care, accessing these patients’ bloodstreams may increase infection risk. Consequently, minimizing entry points for bacteria with needlefree connectors, such as our Clave needlefree IV connector technol- ogy, can be an essential to helping reduce the risk of bloodstream infections. Additionally, the FDA recently authorized monoclonal antibody treatments for emergency use to treat mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adult and pediatric patients. The recommendation is to administer these treatments through polyvinyl chloride (PVC) infusion sets con- taining 0.20/0.22 micron in-line polyether- sulfone (PES) fi lters.” 5-6
Virtual training Going virtual has become an essential part of healthcare and manufacturing training and business during the crisis. “We are adapting product training and education to a virtual environment, which has become crucial for our customers in today’s healthcare setting,” Draper shared. Online platforms can help improve time
and effi ciency in service, addresses Niemeier. “From a vendor’s perspective, we are
changing the way we market and deploy our products,” she explained. “In one recent experience, we virtualized our whole model of implementation. Our project kick-offs, design and build sessions for the infusion management system, the drug library and confi gurations, and testing were all done via a virtual conference platform. We utilized computer-based training to replace the major- ity of what is done in a classroom and were able to reduce the amount of on-site time to less than 10 percent.” HPN
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