“In a 500g newborn infant, enteral drugs are often prescribed in volumes as small as 0.1ml or even 0.01ml.” However, “Laboratory testing shows a mid-tolerance [ENFit™] connector pair in a female to male orientation displaces a mean average of 0.148 ml […] of fluid“.
Delivering the right dose to a neonate is critically important. Underdosing can result in a lack of efficacy, and overdosing can result in adverse effects.
The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia shared data showing that more than 80 different oral medications are administrated in volumes less than 2ml and 1,250 of these doses are prepared every day, representing 48% of their daily administrated oral doses. (1)
Neonatal survey on the accuracy needs
As a survey conducted in NICUs from 11 countries shows, very low volumes of enteral drugs (0.05ml – 0.1ml) are administered daily to neonatal patients. Misdosing of many enteral medicines can be detrimental for patient health, so a high level of accuracy in drug administration is required. The design of the ENFit™ connector, with a possible 0.148ml overdose, is judged by the 126 neonatal specialists interviewed, to provide inadequate dose accuracy for ENFit™ ‘s universal use in neonatology.