Smiths Medical has received FDA clearance for the Portex CorrectInject Safety System, an injection set for spinal and epidural drugs that uses unique connectors to help prevent the wrong medication getting to the needle.
Misconnections, such as between intrathecal and intravenous lines due to the same Luer locks, are common enough that according to Smiths, the UK’s National Health Service has mandated that as of “April 1, 2013 all epidural, spinal (intrathecal) and regional anaesthesia infusions and boluses are to be performed with devices that use safer connectors that will not connect with intravenous Luer connectors or intravenous infusion spikes.”
From the press release:
The Portex(R) CorrectInject(TM) Safety System for Epidural Anaesthesia Injection is the first of the line to be cleared for market release in the U.S. The CorrectInject(TM) Safety System for Spinal Anaesthesia Administration has been available in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and countries in Asia since September 2011.
Regionalized introductions of the CorrectInject(TM) Safety System, including a system for epidural infusion, will expand as country registrations and approvals are granted.
Press release: Smiths Medical Receives FDA Clearance for Epidural Administration Safety System
Product page: CorrectInject Safety System
