Last month, SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital - Madison became the first hospital in the United States to use a newly upgraded nitric oxide delivery device that is used in tandem with mechanical ventilation for critically ill infant and adult patients.
The INOmax EVOLVE DS nitric oxide delivery system has been years in the making. It was developed by Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals with input from respiratory therapists from across the country.
“For us, the way it works and functions makes our lives easier,” said Tammy Kundinger, manager, Respiratory Care Services. “With the advanced technology on the device, it has really improved our workflow and patient delivery.”
SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital became the second hospital in the system to utilize the new technology and went live with the nitric oxide delivery system Oct. 28.
Nitric oxide treatment
Nitric oxide is a prescription drug therapy that’s FDA-approved for premature infants whose lungs aren’t fully formed and neonates who have a congenital defect with their heart and lungs. The nitric oxide gas opens their constricted vessels to make it easier for blood flow to happen so air exchange can occur, allowing oxygen to get to their vital organs so they can grow.
Until recently, nitric oxide came in large tanks – larger than an oxygen tank.
The new delivery system contains the same amount of gas in two mini-cylinders, each weighing 1.43 pounds. The cylinders attach to a streamlined delivery device, which is connected to a patient’s ventilator using a small adaptor.
“The amount of time and disposable equipment needed to set up the therapy has been improved – it’s much more efficient,” Kundinger said. “We used to have to do individual calibrations to make sure the gas delivery stayed in range. It’s all automatic now.”
Kundinger said her respiratory therapy team was excited to get the new device, especially when they learned they were in the first RTs in the country to use it.
“The majority of my team has been here 10 years-plus – they’ve worked with this their entire career,” she said. "The use of this gas therapy increased significantly during COVID to care for extremely ill patients in the ICUs. RT staff were looked to as the experts to be able to provide and support patients. To be part of something that has been this innovative to our workflow is huge.”
