Hospital Corporation of America and Subsidiaries - Page 15

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          petitioners' acute care hospitals.  The principal medical                   
          supplies used in psychiatric facilities are prescription drugs              
          and medicines.  In some instances, medical supplies and equipment           
          might be used in certain treatments, such as insulin therapy,               
          electroshock therapy, and hydrotherapy.                                     
          Intravenous Solutions                                                       
               During a hospital stay, a patient may receive an IV                    
          solution.  The administration of an IV solution involves the                
          injection of a prescribed solution directly into the patient's              
          vein, frequently together with prescribed amounts of admixtures.            
               The administration of an IV involves a number of steps,                
          including preparing the IV solution, mixing in any required                 
          admixtures in the appropriate quantities, distributing the                  
          solution to the patient floor, assembling the IV apparatus (which           
          may consist of a reusable pump and disposable tubing, connectors,           
          needle hubs, and catheters), setting the rate of flow, monitoring           
          the rate of flow, and monitoring the patient's response to the              
          medication.  Monitoring the rate of flow and the patient's                  
          reaction are critical aspects of the administration of an IV                
          because the infusion of the IV fluid at too rapid a rate could              
          harm the patient and the patient could have an adverse reaction             
          to medication administered through the IV.  Once the                        
          administration of the IV is complete, the IV apparatus and any              
          unused IV fluid are disposed of in a biohazardous disposal                  
          receptacle to be discarded by the hospital.  Typically, the                 




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