Baxa Corporation Introduces New Enteral Dispensers

Baxa Corporation announced the launch of the first medication dispensers designed only for enteral feeding at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Midyear Clinical Meeting held recently in Anaheim, California. The new Baxa Exacta-Med® Enteral Dispensers feature a unique dispenser tip that cannot connect to a luer needle or needleless IV system. Their distinctive enteral marking, orange lettering and stripe coordinate with enteral tube sets; making them the safe choice for enteral fluid drug delivery, particularly in pediatric and neonatal applications where the majority of the oral and enteral doses are provided through a gastric tube.

On April 3, 2006, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) issued a Sentinel Event Alert warning of the significant risk posed by ‘tubing and catheter misconnection errors.' In the Alert, JCAHO states that a standard luer syringe should "never" be used for oral medications or enteral feedings.

According to Katie Calabrese, neonatal nurse practitioner and Baxa product manager, "In addition to JCAHO, the UK National Health Service and the US Institute for Safe Medication Practice, among other recognized authorities, recommend the use of specialty dispensers for all oral liquid doses. Adding the distinctive coloring to the product further differentiates it for enteral applications only." The new Exacta-Med Dispensers, available in 20, 35 and 60 mL sizes, are individually packaged to reduce the opportunity for contamination prior to filling and administration.

Baxa enteral dispensers are syringe-like devices with a non-luer tip that will not accept a hypodermic needle or actuate a needless IV access port. They are designed specifically to provide safe and accurate delivery of enteral liquids, reducing the possibility of wrong-route administration through a patient's IV or epidural line.

SOURCE: Baxa Corporation