Costing services: comparing three i.v. medication systems

Three methods of intermittent intravenous (IV) medication delivery were studied for evidence of cost effectiveness. Eighty-five patients receiving antibiotics on two general medicine units were examined over an eight-week period. Chi square analysis revealed no significant differences in the number of IV complications among the three delivery systems. ANOVA revealed no significant differences among the three systems. A cost savings of $99.70 per patient using the Bard system and $98.60 using the BD system was realized. Thirty-six (88%) of the nurses preferred a syringe pump system, 10 patients showed no strong preference for any of the methods, and the two pharmacists preferred a syringe delivery system.