NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – November 26, 2024 – A study published this month in the peer-reviewed British Journal of Nursing examines the immense economic impact of infiltration and extravasation injuries within clinical environments. In doing so, it outlines how ivWatch, the IV safety company, can help healthcare organizations mitigate the risks associated with IV therapy and lower the costs of these injuries through early detection using its proprietary sensor and patient monitor technology, often well before a clinician can identify an injury is in progress.
Authored by NHS IV therapy and vascular access expert Andrew Barton, the article illustrates how four commonly administered intravenous treatments – systemic anti-cancer therapy, vasopressors, drugs with non-physiological pH, and iron infusions – may result in injury and the associated risk factors and costs of each via patient case studies for the respective treatments.
“The estimated financial savings from the case studies alone would easily justify the investment in ivWatch to prevent infiltration and extravasation from occurring,” Barton notes in the article. “ivWatch technology helps both the patient, giving them confidence that an extravasation injury was not likely to occur during IV therapy administration, and clinical staff, who can rely on the technology to monitor patients and identify potential problems.”
Barton continues, “Added to the savings outlined in this article are the positive effects of early identification and risk mitigation that the ivWatch technology makes possible. These include decreased lengths of hospital stays, reduced numbers of clinical procedures, elimination of delays in clinical care, reduction of drug dosing errors, decreased risk of hospital-acquired infections, reduced pressure on beds, minimal medical supply usage, less wastage, and lessening of the burdens on clinical resources.”
A previous study published by the Journal in April 2024 and authored by Barton examined several essential metrics that described the performance of the ivWatch patient monitoring system for IV infiltrations and extravasations in the UK’s Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust Hospital, IVAS infusion unit from August 2023 until January 2024. The IVAS infusion unit administers a range of non-chemotherapy IV therapy infusions.
The initial two-week phase of the study found that continuous infusion site monitoring using the ivWatch system detected infiltration and extravasation events earlier than relying on intermittent visual observation alone. That detection occurred in 100% of IV infiltration events before a clinician could visually detect the event. A total of 206 infusions and 214 peripheral IV sites were monitored via ivWatch’s SmartTouch Sensor for a total of 357 hours. The device captured 15 infiltrations in the 214 peripheral IV sites monitored, all caught in the very early stages so that patients had minimal pain or discomfort with no extravasation injuries.
Phase two of the study, continuing from the first two-week phase through January 2024, Barton’s team monitoring an additional 2,254 PIV sites. Of those sites monitored, 122 infiltrated for an infiltration rate of 5.4%. Barton reported 122 definite infiltration/extravasation injuries prevented and an additional 59 potential injuries for a total of 181 infiltration and extravasation injuries avoided through the use of ivWatch’s continuous monitoring. Barton and his team have reported 0 injuries since the inception of ivWatch in their unit, instilling confidence in both his staff and their patients.
ivWatch technology uses a predictive algorithm and visible and near-infrared light to detect changes in the optical properties of the tissue around an IV site. It notifies clinicians to check the IV site if changes are detected in real time. The ivWatch system has been clinically tested and proven in laboratory and real-world settings, demonstrating high sensitivity and specificity across various patient populations. The system’s continuous monitoring and early detection capabilities have the potential to significantly reduce the severity of IV infiltrations and extravasations, improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare costs.
To view the studies, visit: https://www.magonlinelibrary.com/doi/abs/10.12968/bjon.2024.0270?journalCode=bjon.
To learn more about the ivWatch patient monitoring system for IV infiltrations and extravasations visit: https://www.ivwatch.com/tech-overview/.
About ivWatch, LLC
Founded in 2010 and holding nearly 70 patents, ivWatch developed a first-of-its-kind Class II medical device, cleared by the FDA and CE-marked, that uses visible and near-infrared light and a predictive algorithm to continuously monitor peripheral IVs and aid in the early detection of IV infiltration and extravasation events. These events are common and can lead to severe consequences ranging from dosing errors, scarring, skin staining, nerve damage, amputation, and even death.
The ivWatch patient monitoring system performs over 18,000 checks per hour for signs of IV infiltration and extravasation, notifying healthcare workers of fluid leaking outside of the vein in real time to reduce severe adverse outcomes.
In 2024, the company surpassed more than 35 clinical bodies of evidence. It was named to Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies 2024 list and was also awarded a PM360 Innovative Health Award in the Health-Tech/Non-Consumer category and named a Fierce Life Sciences Innovation Award finalist for medical device innovation, both in 2023. To learn more, www.ivWatch.com.