MAS News...

University Hospital in San Antonio discusses
the use of RALS®-TGCM in the November 2006
issue of CAP Today…

….’When you have a decreased length of stay, lower antibiotic use and lower morbidity and mortality, how can you say it’s not worth it?’

Charlottesville, VA -- December 1, 2006 -- Implementing a tight glycemic control protocol is one thing... managing it is quite another. RALS-Plus user Charles Reed, RN at University Hospital in San Antonio discusses his use of RALS-TGCM in the November 2006 issue of

CAP Today. The following is an excerpt from the article describing how Mr. Reed has been working to improve patient glucose control in the University Hospital ICU:

“…’We were averaging 35 percent to 40 percent in the 80 to 110 range, and we couldn’t seem to break that barrier.  All through January 2005 we were at 35 or 36 percent, and we were hitting close to 39 percent through August.  So we had a nice increase, but then it sort of stalled, and we couldn’t get over the hump.’

Once they started using the RALS-Plus tight glycemic control module, made by Medical Automation Systems, they were able to turn that around.  

‘Prior to that, our point-of-care office would send us information once a month, we’d process it, look at the data, present information to our staff, and our clinical management team would review it.’

With the implementation of the RALS-Plus [TGCM] module, they were able to look at the data right away.  ‘The Roche Diagnostics Accu-Chek gets downloaded, and we can run a report from any computer in the unit, then see which of three surgical trauma modules are not showing results in the target range, then focus on working with those nurses and physicians.’

‘Part of our clinical evaluation is demonstrating that evidenced-based practice is being used, but we really had no way of showing how well it was actually doing.  The RALS module helped take us to the next level.’ Now, when Reed comes in to work, he can run a report to see what’s been happening in the last eight hours and which side of the unit needs the most attention.  As a result, the unit is averaging 50 percent of patients between 80 and 110.  ‘We’d like to get it closer to 60 percent.  But right now we’re also averaging almost 85 percent between 80 and 140, which is really excellent.’

Click here to access the complete article online

University hospital is just one of a number of institutions using RALS-TGCM to manage their glycemic protocols, for more information, click here to contact your MAS Regional Business Manager.

About RALS-TGCM The RALS-TGCM (Tight Glycemic Control Module) is a web-based tool to help manage your glucose data.  Designed for clinicians it provides aggregate data management reports via a web interface as well as offering valuable feedback relative to glycemic control protocols at the patient level. RALS-TGCM provides multiple reporting options that focus on program management successes as well as improvement opportunities. Hospital data can be viewed by the treating healthcare team for faster protocol evaluation. Regulatory compliance is improved through specific user authority level options designed to protect patient confidentiality. In addition, hospital specific values for hypoglycemia and optimal control targets based on hospital policies. RALS-TGCM also improves operational efficiencies by providing rapid coordination of glycemic control data - helping to speed protocol management and making reports available to all authorized users at any computer connected to the hospital intranet.