Computer software prevents patient overdose
The Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne has become the first hospital in Australia to employ new software that will prevent dosage errors in patient medication.
The centrally managed intravenous (IV) drug administration software, Hospira MedNetT, monitors the rate of administration of life-saving but potentially harmful medication.
The technology uses a centrally updated database of IV medication – medication administered directly into the vein – to remotely update 150 infusion pumps around the hospital with the latest safety parameters on a per-drug basis.
Using the software, errors in prescribing or programming the correct administration rate for any given drug into the pump are immediately flagged and averted.
The ability to wirelessly update the pumps with the latest Hospira MedNetT information could save the centre hundreds of hours of maintenance time.
It also allows the pumps to remain in service while being updated. In addition, the technology allows real-time data from each IV pump to be captured.
