East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust has introduced a specialised dashboard and monitors to improve oxygen therapy for babies.
Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital installed eight new Mindray ePM monitors in June this year following a successful pilot.
The unit worked closely with Mindray, the company behind the device, to develop a specialised goal management tool for oxygen therapy. It means the unit can be more precise and individualise targeting to high of low limits for each baby.
When a baby remained on oxygen for an extended period of time, the SCBU would carry out an in-depth study for the affected neonate, which would often have to be repeated for accuracy.
These studies would often last an average of four days and involve posting data to the unit’s sister site for downloading and analysis. This meant the average length of stay for affected babies was eight days, totalling £3,200 per baby.
The new devices have helped generate a 95% reduction in time-consuming sleep studies..
Tracey Twyman, ward manager for the Trust, explained: “The new neonatal saturation screen has significantly reduced the number of formal sleep studies we are performing. It has enabled us to wean babies from oxygen safely and more effectively and has meant babies do not have to remain in the unit for longer than necessary.”
