Bar Codes

A while ago I posted about the new infusion pumps we have which are supposed to make life safer for the patient and more difficult for the caregivers.

I was in the hospital today and my chief said to me, "Here I've got something in my locker for you". He pulled out a hospital ID with my 10+ year old photo on it. At first I thought it was the ID I lost. It was in fact my "Smart Pump Bar Code ID".

Now in order to prevent well or ill meaning visitors from reprogramming the pump, your ID has to be scanned every time you reprogram the pump. This of course presents a problem when your ID is in your car. Fortunately a resident told me how your bypass this. All you have to do she told me was scan the bar code on the kleenex boxes we have in the OR and the pump will open its heart to you.

Which is what I did the other night with patient from the ICU on the levophed infusion which I felt I had to adjust up and down throughout the case. The kleenex box worked just fine.

Now that I have a proper bar coded ID, I won't need to use the kleenex box. Until I lose the ID.