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25.01.2023 20:42
How to Transport Blood from One Place to Another
Many years ago, sending data, or a message, from one place to the other was a cumbersome time-consuming process. But today, technology has made it possible for us to send a text or transfer data quickly. In the same way, the pneumatic tube system has eased the process of transporting blood and other clinical samples and data from one place to the other.
Hospital activities require urgency. From moving blood samples to the lab to sending the right medication from the pharmacy to the ward where it’ll be administered to the patient, there’s a lot of back and forth involved in healthcare. In many hospitals, nurses and other health workers transport these items by foot, and it takes away the time that should be dedicated to care for patients.
The introduction of the pneumatic tube system in the healthcare sector aims to solve this problem, so that healthcare providers can focus on providing hands-on care to their patients.
What Are Pneumatic Tube Systems?
A pneumatic tube system is a system of intra-facility transportation that facilitates the conveyance of essential items through a network of tubes. The technology uses compressed air or vacuum to transport objects in a fast, safe and convenient manner that doesn't alter the components of the items.
The technology was initially used in offices to ferry mails, urgent paperwork and other items within the same office complex until the invention of emails and other technologies phased it out. However, pneumatic tubes still remain relevant in stores, industries and other sectors, especially in hospitals where they’re used for transporting blood from one place to the other.
Pneumatic Tube Systems in Hospitals
Hospitals use pneumatic tubes to transport blood samples to the laboratory. The system serves to reduce the duration it takes to take these blood samples from the patient to the laboratory. It also eliminates the problem of haemolysis and alteration due to temperature changes that may occur during in-person carrying within the facility.
Also, surgery and emergency response requires speed and urgency. In big hospital facilities, the distance between the operating room and the laboratory or blood bank may be quite long. In such cases, time is of the essence, and it would be risky to wait for staff to transport blood between these two locations before transfusion can be done.
Apart from blood, pneumatic tube systems in hospitals also are beneficial in transporting patient documents, drugs, test results and other test samples that require prompt conveyance. Hospitals use this system to eliminate wasting time, increase efficiency, and reduce the workload of nurses and other personnel. It also doesn’t cause any significant change in the components of the transported object.
How to Transport Blood From one Place to Another
Blood handling and transportation requires a series of interconnected activities called blood cold chain. These activities involve the following conditions:
- Storing and transportation of unprocessed blood at temperatures of +2ºC to +6ºC.
- Transporting of unprocessed blood must happen in less than 6 hours.
- Processed blood needs to be stored at temperatures of +2ºC to +10ºC.
- Transportation material must be sturdy to avoid crushing the blood components during movement.
If blood is exposed to temperatures outside the above stated range, it may lose the ability to transport oxygen around the body, which is its primary function. Hospitals consider these factors. Hence, they use cold boxes with thermal insulation to move blood across different destinations.
Despite all these, however, human mistakes sometimes happen and blood becomes damaged or contaminated during transportation. This is why hospitals all over the world have begun to prioritize the use of pneumatic tube systems for the safe and controlled transportation of blood.
Air-log – Your Partner for PTS
Air-log provides hospitals with a safe, gentle and speedy pneumatic tube system for blood and all clinical samples. Our fully automatic pneumatic tube solution connects all essential parts of your hospital, to ensure that vital samples are delivered in a heartbeat. Our front-loading dock comes with a 7-inch smart touch-screen to input necessary information, and with our leak-proof carriers with flip cap, you can rest assured that your samples will neither spill nor get altered at any point.
Contact us today to create the best pneumatic tube solution for your healthcare facility.
Do you have any questions about Pneumatic Tube Systems?
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