B. Braun Medical features Horizon Outlook IV Safety System at AACN; Patient Specific Solution For IV Medication Administration.

Business/Technology Editors & Health/Medical Writers

BETHLEHEM, Pa.--(BW HealthWire)--May 9, 2002

B. Braun Medical Inc. today announced that the Horizon Outlook(TM) IV Safety System with DoseScan(TM) technology was featured at the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) National Teaching Institute (NTI) held in Atlanta, GA. The Horizon Outlook IV System sets a new standard for the management of infusion therapy by ensuring the "right" patient is receiving the "right" drug in the "right" dose.

According to a 2001 report from the Agency for Health Research and Quality, adverse drug events cause more than 770,000 injuries and deaths each year and cost up to $5.6M per hospital. In addition, the report indicated that patients who suffered from unintended drug events remain in the hospital an average of 8 to 10 days longer than patients who do not experience such mistakes.

To address the most common sources of IV medication administration errors - which involve either the wrong patient, the wrong drug, or the wrong dosage - B. Braun has developed the Horizon Outlook IV System with DoseScan technology, a cornerstone product in B. Braun's safety initiative - People, Products and Programs Working Together for Excellence in Safety(TM). The Horizon Outlook IV System is an IV administration safety system that impacts multiple points within the drug delivery process: from label generation, to patient-medication matching, to automatic infusion pump programming.

With the Horizon Outlook IV System, the hospital pharmacy generates a barcode label on the IV medication bag. At the patient's bedside, the caregiver must scan a barcode on his or her badge to verify authorization, scan the patient's ID barcode to identify the patient, scan the barcode on the medication to confirm that it matches the patient, and scan the infusion parameters on the IV bag to program the infusion device. If the barcodes correlate, the infusion pump will confirm that the information is correct and the caregiver can initiate infusion.

"The Horizon Outlook IV System offers a comprehensive IV safety solution for hospitals of all sizes," said Sheila Kempf, Vice President of Marketing, B. Braun Medical. "Because it integrates with the existing pharmacy information system, the Horizon Outlook IV System can automatically accommodate any drug on the hospital formulary. The system is not limited to a specific number of preprogrammed drugs."

"Transcription errors can occur in written form, as well as electronically. The Horizon Outlook IV System is automatically preprogrammed based on the barcode information, thereby reducing the risk of user input error," Kempf continued.

The Horizon Outlook IV Safety System with DoseScan technology has an open architecture design that enables it to interface with any hospital or pharmacy information management system. This provides the institution with the freedom to choose the right system for their needs. Hospitals without a pharmacy system in place can use a B. Braun software package to generate barcodes.

About B. Braun Medical Inc.

B. Braun is dedicated to helping you achieve excellence in safety through our People, Products, and Programs. We are committed to delivering innovative safety products and programs with unmatched quality, superior technology, and cost-effective solutions, while maintaining environmental responsibility.

For more than 160 years, our tradition of expertise and progress has set a clear example of excellence in the global marketplace. With more than 28,000 employees worldwide, B. Braun is a full line IV therapy and healthcare products supplier. Our professionalism, integrity, and high level of service are recognized daily by our customers. B. Braun continues to set new standards of care through our product development, promoting best practices with the continuous improvement of safety. As a leading safety company in health care, we believe that our total commitment to achieving excellence in safety is critical to your success. www.bbraunusa.com