I recently came across a press release about a new product to help treat blood stream infections and remove pathogens from our banked blood supply. With the emergence of superbugs and the nasty antibiotic resistant bacteria we face today, I thought this device may be worth investigating.

The medical device company out of Berkley California ExThera Medical has reported success in independent laboratory studies that indicate the blood filtering device Seraph Microbind Affinity Blood Filter can remove a broad range of pathogens and toxins from whole blood. 

As a nurse and industry representative, I am blessed by the opportunity to see how clinical education, training and new technology can directly impact patient care. When I present the new NovaCath Integrated IV Catheter System to a group of clinicians, I pass around product samples so the clinicians can see and feel the soft, pliable material that is used for the stabilization frame on this innovative IV. I even ask them to place the NovaCath on their own skin so they can experience firsthand the enhanced patient comfort the NovaCath offers.

On occasion, I hear clinicians share their own experiences and frequent challenges with IV therapy. Just before the holidays, a clinician shared a picture that was truly “’worth a 1,000 words”: a pressure ulcer had developed on her child’s foot while undergoing IV therapy during a hospitalization.

Infusion Therapy is an awesome wonder when it comes to saving a patient’s life.  Is it really necessary to give a patient a Colloid versus a Crystalloid?

Trauma, burns, or surgery can cause people to lose large amounts of blood. Fluid replacement, giving fluids intravenously (into a vein) to replace lost blood, is used to maintain blood pressure and reduce the risk of dying. Blood products, non-blood products or combinations are used, including colloid or crystalloid solutions. Colloids are increasingly used but they are more expensive than crystalloids and there are many scientific studies show no evidence colloids reduce the risk of dying compared with crystalloids.