changing cultures: implementing the subcutaneous syringe
TRANSCRIPT
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Changing Cultures: Overview & Implementation of the
Subcutaneous Syringe Driver for Comfort Care Patients
Janet Batt MA, CNS, RN-BC
Hoag Hospital CARES/Palliative Care Team
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Who Am I Then?
• Nursing for 25 years in London • Medicine, surgery, pediatrics, community nursing • Community Hospice CNS, Inpatient Hospice, Palliative Care CNS at London
teaching Hospital. • Oncology, HIV, teaching, certified • Diploma Palliative Care. • Certified Counselling, cultural issues. Pain and advanced symptom control • Advance pain and symptom control –Oxford University and WHO • Masters degree in Death and Society – Reading University • Clinical Ethics training UW • Case Management certified CSU • Board Certified – Pain Management • Southern California Cancer Pain Initiative Board member
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OBJECTIVES
• Discuss the use of the subcutaneous syringe
driver at end of life in the Hospital setting
• Promote excellence
• Discuss culture change and challenges in implementation of Evidence Based Practice
• Spread the word! Be the change.
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The End of life patient?
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History- Palliative Care is NOT New
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But where are the drips?
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Subcutaneous Syringe Driver
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Palliation at End of Life
• Dying is still seen as a medical failure rather than a natural and normal process.
• We are still focused on technology, investigations and interventions, even at end of life.
• We need to move forward or is it backward (to palliation)
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Cultural Issues
• Not good at talking about death and dying
• Families often have to make decisions in an emergency situation/ breathing machine/tube feeding
• No advance directives/POLST
• High technology – Life support
• Death is natural/normal and should not be viewed as a medical failure
• What we see as prolonging life is often prolonged dying
• Intravenous therapy driven (even if patients can swallow)
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The “Good” Death
• Advance care planning
• Place of death choice – likely home
• Patient’s wishes/needs met
• Dignity
• Pain and symptom control
• Family supportive
• De-MEDICALIZED
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Progress?
• Whilst we have made progress at end of life care, especially with Hospice, there is still much to do… in the acute Hospital setting
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The IV Culture
• We still continue to give IV medications for all conditions
(even if patients are able to swallow!)
• The need for speed
• We still find narcotics prescribed IV PRN rather than around the clock analgesia. This may be quicker, but it is shorter acting.
• ‘Chasing the pain’
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The IV Culture (cont’d)
• IV is painful. Sometimes resisted in dying patients under USS
• Restraints often used if delirious/agitated
• Using different infusions for different meds. i.e. Morphine/Fentanyl/Midazolam
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Advantages
• No case reports for complications of S/C meds/pumps
• Reduces costs significantly
• Ultimately patient comfort
• Takes away the medicalization of dying
• Loved ones can get near to patient (without IV poles/pumps/tubes) fear of touching
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Other Advantages
• Noise/alarms of IV infusers
• Used worldwide for ambulatory cancer patients
• (anti-emetics) reduces length of stay and being stuck in bed on IV
• Ethical: Reduces excessive/quick titration of continuous Morphine drips
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Indications For Use
• Typically used for those at the end of life where the oral route or rectal route is unacceptable. Indications also include intractable vomiting, bowel obstruction, difficulty in swallowing and coma.
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Evidence Base
• Moulin.D et al. Comparison of continuous subcutaneous and IV Hydromorphone infusions for the management of cancer pain. The Lancet. 1991:337: 465-468
• Storey.P et al Subcutaneous infusions for control of cancer symptoms. J Pain symptom management 1990. 5:33-41
• Bruera et al . Use of subcutaneous route for administration of narcotics in patients with cancer pain.. Cancer 1988;62: 407-11
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Absorption
• Morphine shown to have similar absorption characteristics when given by either SQ or IV infusion route
• Waldman.CS et al. Serum Morphine levels: a comparison between continuous SQ infusion and continuous IV infusion. Anesthesia 1984.39: 768-71
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• ‘We need to practice with a consciousness that high tech does not always translate into quality of care’
• ‘There is undeniable evidence that IV opioid infusions ought generally to be abandoned in favor of SQ infusions in the management of chronic pain in terminal patients’
• Johanson. 1991
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Evidence
• The evidence has been out there for decades. Many, many research articles . Some U.S.
• IV therapy has been deemed poor practice
• No new articles ? – already proven
• What will it take?
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Cost Savings
• IV versus SQ opioid infusions for cancer pain.
• Gary Johanson. American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care. 1991
• Cost savings originally under $100 a week for delivery and maintenance of SQ ( todays cost= $166.03
• IV $450 week (todays cost = $747.13)
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Comfort Care
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Comfort care order set
• In most Hospital settings a pathway or specific order set is used for those in the last few days of life to ensure comfort and dignity
• We have this at Hoag:
– Medication order set for symptom management
– We stop interventions, routine labs, vitals
– Remove monitors, tubes, oximetry, SCD’s etc.
– Pet visitation, oral food/fluids
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The Subcutaneous Syringe Driver Summary
• Is not new
• Is evidence based.
• Cost effective
• De-medicalizes the dying process
• Increases patient comfort
• Discrete and dignified
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Not Indicated
• Terminal extubations in CCU; lines in situ and not expected to survive beyond a couple of hours
• If stable would transfer to med/surg and syringe driver would then be considered
• On comfort care and imminently dying or likely that day
• If being discharged to Hospice that day
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McKinley T34 Syringe Driver
• Studied widely and found to be the most safe and reliable of all syringe pumps.
• Battery operated and portable
• Refilled every 24 hours- Holds 10-50ml syringes(up to 30ml with lockbox)
• Pump identifies type of syringe and size. Runs Mls per hour but can be set and locked to run over 24 hours only. No room for errors
• No bolus button. PRN’s SQ/sublingual
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Why This Pump?
• Most commonly used around the world. Comparative studies from various countries have evaluated many drivers in terms of it’s safety, ease of use, availability and cost.
• The syringe driver has clear cost benefits over cartridge systems
• Many CADD pumps. Also used IV. Problems with different pumps (ml/hr, or ml/24hr) risk of error
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Estimates
• McKinley pump = $1850 (includes lock box which is $200), syringe 10c, fine bore tubing/needle = $2.50
• CADD pump = $2900, cartridge/tubing $20-25
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The Journey Begins • Evidenced based and Best practice = Yes
• Are Hospices still using IV’s? = Some
• Plan : Set the bar for U.S Hospitals. What gives?
• Is everyone waiting for someone else to start?
• Culture change - You are the change –
We are the change !
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• Used since 1975 in U.K. In hospital and at home. Now used throughout the world including U.S (though still not in acute hospitals)
• 684 Hospices uses subcutaneous drivers- Usually CADD
• Major teaching Hospitals contacted by Dr. Selecky (East and west coast) No known use in Hospitals
• DME agencies contacted
• McKinley- CME America availability found 2010 – one company used around the world. No RFP needed.
Palliative care drugs, used out of license worldwide.
Palliative Care Drug Formulary
www.palliativedrugs.com
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Talking About It
• My first year at Hoag (team of one)2007
• Presented use of syringe drivers to CEO of Hospital and Board members.
“Loved the concept”
“Go for it”. “Let’s get this going”.
• “We want best practices here and we support you”
• Met with all Pharmacists to introduce Palliative care CNS role, pain and symptom control, Palliative care formulary and concept of syringe drivers.
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Where To Start?
• Find the ideal pump (research safety/most used in other countries/ many comparative studies worldwide)
• Find the manufacturer
• Is it available in the US ?
• Find the SQ infusion set
• Find the money
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Buy In • How many committees in the Hospital did I present to and
then re-present to?
• Answer = absolutely lost count. Didn’t know there were so many. Examples:
• Multiple Administration/Board
• Nursing councils/education/research/
• Multiple Medical staff/ onc, critical care, general med
• Education Dept/educators
• Pharmacy management
• Medical supplies/bio med/tech/vendor/supplies
• Safety councils
• Value committees
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Pharmacy
• Educated on palliativedrugs.com
• Syringe driver drug compatibility book and resources
• Initially they wanted standardization pump like PCA, so a lot of education needed. Order set negotiated
• Already bought them formulary
• Use of filter for Levsin
• Many, many meetings/changes of staff, etc.
• 20ml syringe use/diluent
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