Donated device simplifies injections at Children’s Hospital

The gifts from Pascale’s Pals to Children’s Hospital at University of Missouri Healthcare are getting more sophisticated.

The latest contribution from the non-profit children’s health care organization is a $25,000 device called VeinViewer that reduces young patients’ chances of pain from imprecise or multiple injections.

The VeinViewer uses near-infrared light to display a “roadmap” of the veins in a patient’s skin, allowing healthcare professionals to clearly see the veins and stick needles right on target. This dramatically decreases the potential for a missed vein and multiple sticks.

“It’s a pretty fantastic piece of technology,” said Dr. Thomas Silva, medical director of Children’s Hospital. “You can watch the needle going in as you do it, reducing the possibility of error. It makes a big difference for the kids because one bad experience, and they never forget it.”

The VeinViewer is portable, similar in size to an IV stand with a monitor that is smaller than the average desktop computer. Operating it requires no special skills. Silva said he could train someone with no health care background to operate it “in less than four minutes.”

Cindy Brooks, manager of pediatric services for Children’s Hospital, said that the device, sold by Tennessee-based Luminetx Corporation, is safe for patients because it involves no radiation. She said the vein “roadmaps” are created when near-infrared light from the device detects the hemoglobin in the patient’s blood, differentiating the veins from other parts of the skin. A green image of the blood-vessel network is projected onto the area of the skin where a needle can be injected.

“No one likes to see their child go through painful things,” Brooks said. “This makes it so we usually need only one attempt for a stick. It gives us fewer fretful babies or kiddos.”

Pascale’s Pals’ sole mission is to support the patients of Children’s Hospital. Founder Sylvie Carpentier decided to start the organization after her daughter, Pascale, was hospitalized with leukemia in 1995.

Carpentier realized the comfort that could be provided to children and their families if they had access to good televisions and video players. Her solution was to raise money—through a bake sale, at first—and soon she was able to buy the equipment for every child’s room in the hospital.

In 1998, Carpentier started what has become the organization’s annual fund-raising auction. That first year, the event netted a little more than $1,000. This year’s event, held in April, attracted 480 people and netted $80,000.

“Because we are an all-volunteer organization, we are able to operate with almost no overhead,” Carpentier said. “So pretty much all of the money we raise goes directly to help the children and their families.”

The purchase of the VeinViewer was sparked by a call from Brooks.

“Some of our staff saw the VeinViewer at a conference and raved about it, so I called Sylvie and asked her to fund it,” Brooks said. “She came over, looked at it, and gave us the money right away.”

Brooks said the hospital works closely with Pascale’s Pals. “We talk pretty regularly, and they help us whenever they can. They do an awful lot.”

Carpentier said Pascale’s Pals works with Children’s Hospital to identify needs of both the hospital as a whole and individual families. Over the years, donations have paid for items and services such as playground equipment, a washer and dryer, gift baskets for new patients, and even funeral expenses.

“Financially, these families are really hurting,” Carpentier said. “I wish every hospital had a Pascale’s Pals to help the children.”