Saving money with effective in-line filters

Abstract

The Intensive care unit at Umeå Regional Hospital has Dduring the past year, 1988, used PALL ELD 96 inline-filters on all patients with a central venous catheter. Two different time-periods were investigated, one when inline-filters were used and one without in-line filters. By counting the amount of intravenous disposables that were used and with TISS registration (therapeutic intervention scoring system) which is registered daily on all patients, cost and savings were derived ‘per occupied bed day’. The study shows that through using in-line filters which are changed every 96 hours we may save approximately £35,000 every year.