Microdialysis

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A Neurosurgeon at our facility is interested in implementing Microdialysis. If performing this at your facility, would you be willing to share your experience with the ISCUSflex analyzer? 
Any issues with performance? (QC, calibration, etc.)  
Greatest challenges you encountered with implementation and day to day operations?  

Any feedback is greatly appreciated!
Thank you,
Beverly Muth

4 Replies

Hi Beverly,

We had a similar situation here at our hospital. We had a physician who had used the ISCUSFlex while he was at Columbia, and was dead set on having it here as well. To put it lightly, it was a complete failure and waste of time. The doc who championed the device wound up leaving shortly after the devices had been ordered. They're actually still sitting in our office in their boxes. 

Here is a quick list of the issues with the device:
  • I truly don't think it's user-friendly, especially for nursing staff. Looking back, I think it should've been either kept in the main laboratory, or only a select few nurses should've been trained. Our neuro ICU wanted ALL of its nurses trained on how to use it. About 50 people.
  • Mixing and reconstituting the reagents, is similar to what would be required for a Coag analyzer. Each reagent and solution comes with rubber stoppers that need to be taken out (about 10-12 bottles). If one is missed, the probe will smash into it and break.
  •  There was only one service worker who was in New Jersey. It was a huge concern on what we would do if it needed service.
  • Not sure what your DMS is, but apparently it does interface to RALS now. When we purchased it, that was not available. 
    • We had to set up an Enter/Edit system into Epic to be able to chart results for every hour.
    • This was not ideal since any manual entry of results is prone to errors. 
  • By the time we had trained all the staff, the doctor had left. The other leading physicians in that department were still interested in using the device, but have not been as direct to say they are ready for all that it entails to start up the program again.

I hope this helps. When we purchased it, only 10 other hospitals in the U.S. had the device. We didn't even have reference ranges and had to reach out to Emory. There are probably more places now that use it, and the fact that RALS has the ability to interface to it now gives me a little more hope.

Emily

Beverly - wondering if you ever ended up getting this device?  Emily - did your devices ever go live?
My name is Jessica POCC at Yale New Haven Hospital.  We have had the ISCUSflex here at YNHH for >5 years.  It absolutely has its hurdles, however the largest hurdle are the IT security vulnerabilities.  Wondering if you have any feedback on that...
Thank you,
Jessica

Hi Jessica, we did not implement this device at our facility.  Sorry we can't assist.  Good luck, Beverly 

thanks for answering

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Beverly Muth
about 4 years ago
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