A prospective, randomised clinical evaluation of a new safety-orientated injectable drug administration system in comparison with conventional methods.

Abstract

Fifteen anaesthetists were observed while providing anaesthesia for 15 pairs of adult cardiac surgical operations, using conventional methods for one of each pair and a new drug administration system designed to reduce error for the other. Aspects of each method were rated by users on 10-cm visual analogue scales (10 being best). The new system was rated more favourably than conventional methods in terms of safety (median [range] = 8.1 [6.8-9.7] vs. 7.1 [2.6-9.3] cm; p = 0.001) and usability (8.5 [5.9-9.4] vs. 7.5 [3.2-9.8] cm; p=0.027). The new system saved preparation time both before anaesthesia (median [range] = 180 [32-480] vs. 360 [120-600] s; p=0.013) and during anaesthesia (10 [2-38] vs. 12 [10-60] s; p=0.009). Prefilled syringes for the new system increased costs by euro 23.00 per anaesthetic (p = 0.041), but this increase is likely to be offset by the potential of the new system to decrease costly iatrogenic harm by preventing drug error.