B. Braun Offers Continuing Education Program on Newest Developments in Pain Management; Best Practices Program Provides Healthcare Professionals with Insight and Expertise in the Evolving Field of Pain Management.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- B. Braun Medical Inc., a global leader in the manufacturing and sales of products and services for the delivery of patient care, announced today the availability of a new Continuing Education (CE) program in Pain Management. The course delivers practical information on the newest medications and current best practices for treating and managing pain in both inpatient and outpatient settings.

"Today, increasing emphasis is placed on improving safety and patient outcomes in pain management - an effort spearheaded by organizations such as ISMP," notes Rachel Vitoux, RN, BSN, MSN, Director, Clinical

and Technical Support, B. Braun Medical Inc. "B. Braun is committed to providing relevant and convenient CE programs that are timely, flexible and support the demands of today's clinicians to maintain competency in key areas such as pain management. This CE program represents our continuing effort to provide resources to clinicians, while fostering best practices for hospital staff in keeping with requirements of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO)."

The need for appropriate and effective pain management is essential to improving patient outcomes. According to the American Academy of Pain Management, an estimated 50 million Americans live with chronic pain caused by disease, disorder or accident, and an additional 25 million people suffer acute pain resulting from surgery or accident.(1) Of these individuals, two thirds have been living with pain for more than five years.(2)

"Today, an increasing number of patients are receiving pain management in-hospital, and then continue their pain treatment at home, on an outpatient basis," said Vitoux. "Due to this increase in demand, healthcare practitioners are now heavily relied upon not only as experts in dosing and delivery issues, but as educators and patient advocates who must explain pain management technologies to patients and their family members to ensure their safety and quality of care.

"A CE program such as this one makes a substantive contribution in equipping nurses to handle their greater role in the care of both in-hospital and home-care patients," added Vitoux.

The new B. Braun CE program guides health professionals through the most current best practices in the patient care setting, providing an overview of pain management and goals for treatment - including compliance with guidelines, standards, and consensus statements; the assessment of pain, implementation of effective interventions; and defining functional outcomes. Students will learn the appropriate uses of peripheral nerve blocks, topical anesthesia, and patient-controlled analgesia (PCA).

The Pain Management study guide is approved by the American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT), American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE).

In addition to pain management, B. Braun offers a comprehensive CE portfolio. Courses are available live, on the internet or in study guide format, and each course provides 1.0 to 2.0 CE credits upon completion. Available topics include:

--Medication Errors and IV Drug Delivery

--Sharp Safety and Needle Stick Prevention

--DEHP Plasticized Medical Products: Are They Hazardous to Your Health?

--Parenteral Nutrition and TPN Compounding

--Care and Maintenance of Central Venous Access Devices

--Management of Implanted Venous Access Ports

--Hepatitis ABC's

--Latex Allergy Management and Prevention

--Pulmonary Embolism 

About B. Braun

Since its founding in 1839, B. Braun has built an unparalleled store of knowledge and expertise in delivering innovative healthcare products, medical devices and programs that enhance both patient and health-professional safety. Its 30,000 employees worldwide are proud of their commitment to translating customer needs into products with unmatched quality, superior technology, cost-effectiveness and environmental responsibility.

Through its "Sharing Expertise(R)" initiative, B. Braun promotes best practices for continuous improvement of healthcare products and services. For more information about B. Braun or its safety healthcare products, call 800-854-6851, email us at [e-mail] or visit B. Braun at www.bbraunusa.com.

(1) Weiner, Kathryn, PhD. AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PAIN MANAGEMENT: Pain Issues Pain Is An Epidemic, A Special Message from the Director. Online version accessed Jan 26, 2006: http://www.aapainmanage.org/literature/Articles/PainAnEpidemic.pdf

(2) Ibid.