Has anyone used this product? I came across it when searching the other day. We trialed the PowerGlide but it wasn't well accepted. If anyone out there has used the Medcomp CT compatible midline, please let me know your experiences. Thanks
Beth George, RN, CRNI, VA-BC
UAB Hospital
Birmingham, AL
Can you elaborate on why the BARD PowerGlide wasn't well accepted at your facility? We are currently looking into the use of midlines at our institution and your feedback would be helpful! Thanks!
Hi, We did an evaluation of the Bard PowerGlide and it was horrible. The device is too small to infuse through - it is equivalent to only about a 2.5F catheter and it lasted only about 2 days on all cases. Also, many nurses who should not be placing midlines tried this as a glorfied IV line and when then placed it below the antecube, it bent and failed each time. We spent a lot of time trying to educate, but what we found is that the device should not be used by floor nurses at all but stay with the Vascular Access Team only. Bard will tell your hospitals that "anyone" can place these, but that is defintely not to case.
As for the Medcomp CT midlines, we thought these would be a better solution and we trialed them for the past 3 weeks. The line is good, but the components in the kit stink! They use a cheap wire and cheap introducer that peeled back on itself when we tried it. This happened 4 times out of 10 cases. The line stayed patent for the duration of therapy. Medcomp is not a very reputable company based on what we hear from other clinicians at meetings, etc. Just my 2 cents worth from down here in North Carolina!
JRM
Our facility used the PowerGlide and we had the same issue as you, it did not work well. We currently use the Medcomp power rated midline, we were using their non rated for the last year prior to the power rated one coming out. We have had great success with them. they do not always draw blood easily or for more than a couple of days but i believe that is an issue with any midline. As far as issues with the kit we have not had any, they are easy to insert. The nurses really like them because they have duel lumens. Angiodynamics will be coming out with a power rated midline hopefully in the near future also.