One of the challenges involved in modern nuclear medicine is the delivery of radioactive contrast dyes into a patient’s body as part of the process for performing CT or MRI scans and angiograms. Problems with injecting too much dye or accidently causing an air embolism or extravasation has led to numerous serious complications for patients during what should be a routine procedure. Also, given how chaotic a hospital setting can become at any given moment, injection by hand results in the record of the dosage and amount of dye drawn from inventory to be dependent upon the caregiver’s memory. This can complicate efforts to maintain accurate inventory. More importantly, the consequence could be an accidental overdose of dye. Side effects ranging from hypersensitivity reactions to thyroid dysfunction to Contrast Induced Neuropathy mean potential long-term health problems for the patient. Death is the extreme consequence and wholly possible depending upon the patient and the amount of the overdose.
The introduction of the automatic contrast injector has gone a long way to solving many of these problems. Contrast Injectors can be programed with the precise dosage of medium, delivered with precision, and registering a complete record of the dosage and inventory code, as well as the patient and procedure. And linked with the hospital’s computer network, these records can be added to the patient database. Procedures can be tracked, any possible dye-allergy reactions recorded, and patient conditions tracked to provide a more accurate data sampling to base future procedures and treatment upon.
Reducing human error in the process of performing a routine CT scan or MRI diagnostic reduces the risk to human life. The use of Contrast Injectors, therefore, makes logical sense to include in-hospital procedure both regarding medical efficiency and safety but also reduced insurance risk. Further savings are afforded by far better inventory control through the reduction of waste and precise digital record keeping.
Contact Precise Bio-Medical to learn more about the advantages of acquiring quality contrast injectors available from the company’s inventory. Learn also about the company’s service and technical support and inventory of parts for the equipment it markets to its clients.
