Case Study: Fluid Pumps Help a Team Offer High-Quality Care

CASE STUDY: FLUID PUMPS HELP A TEAM OFFER HIGH-QUALITY CARE

“I don’t think we could practice medicine properly without the pumps,” says Dr. Robert Esplin, owner of Sylvania Veterinary Hospital in Sylvania, Ohio.

Fluid pumps accurately and consistently deliver fluids at a specified rate for animals that need IV fluids for an extended period of time. Without these pumps, you run the risk of overhydrating the animal, Dr. Esplin says.

The Sylvania Veterinary Hospital purchased its first pump 10 years ago. Since then, they’ve purchased 14 more pumps.

To cut down on the purchasing cost of the pump, the hospital bought reconditioned human pumps. “We’ve found that they’re reliable, and they cost about $300,” Dr. Esplin says. “And I only buy from suppliers that will repair the units, so I’ve never had a problem with getting parts for the used pumps.”

The hospital charges a flat fee of $18 when a pump is used. That means that the team at Sylvania Veterinary Hospital needs to use each pump only about 17 times before breaking even. “That’s pretty easy,” says Dr. Esplin. “In fact, there are times when all of our pumps are in use. And we can’t leave an animal on a pump without supervision, so our overnight staff members monitor the patient and pump. It can look like an IV stand jungle, but it’s good to know that our patients always get the appropriate amount of fluid.”