IU Health White Memorial adds VeinViewer

IU Health White Memorial Hospital now has a second VeinViewer® Vision2 thanks to a $14,000 grant from the IU Health Foundation.

The VeinViewer® Vision2 illuminates veins. It gives the clinicians the ability to locate values and hidden bifurcations. It is hospital durable and designed for facility-wide use. Its articulating arm and flexible wrist joint make it easy to maneuver and position. When placed at the bedside, VeinViewer Vision2 requires just a couple of fingers to move the head of the unit to allow head-to-toe patient assessment. There is no need to re-position the device or the patient, making blood draws and other vascular needs easier and more comfortable for the patient.

“In 2018, a VeinViewer was purchased for the emergency department on the first floor. All the nursing units were trained on using the VeinViewer and found it to be helpful with hard to stick cases,” explained Jennifer Hicks, BSN, RN, manager of surgical services at IU Health White Memorial Hospital. “The inpatient unit and surgical departments borrow it daily, moving it from floor to floor. It is a piece of equipment that has been utilized by every department on over 90% of the patients. The need for a second VeinViewer for the second floor was evident.”

Projected near-infrared light is absorbed by blood and reflected by surrounding tissue. Three different colors are available to optimize the view based on skin tone. The information is captured, processed and projected digitally in real time directly onto the surface of the skin. It provides a real time accurate image of the patient’s blood pattern.

“This technology allows team members to see blood patterns up to 15 mm deep and clinically relevant veins up to 10 mm. We can see peripheral veins, bifurcations and valves and assess in real time the refill/flushing of veins, “added Hicks. “With visualization pre, during and post procedure, the healthcare team can potentially avoid complications from accidental puncture and improve the total vascular access procedure, not just the stick.”

Earlier this year, IU Health hospitals across the state received more than $600,000 in grants from IU Health Foundation for projects focused on making Indiana one of the nation’s healthiest states. The grant dollars supported the Foundation’s funding priorities of people, progress and partnerships.