Scottish businessman's donation fits like a glove
Veteran entrepreneur Gio Benedetti has kindly donated award-winning medical equipment to help boost the clinical skills of nursing students at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU).
The Chairman of Hamilton-based Green Cross Medico presented four of his Airglove devices to the School of Health and Life Sciences (SHLS), which means GCU will be the first to use this medical innovation in education.
Mr Benedetti designed the product to ease the often traumatic process of achieving venous access when veins are difficult to access. This is frequently the case for patients undergoing chemotherapy, those who arrive at accident and emergency units following traumatic incidents, and older people who require saline injections to treat dehydration.
The Airglove is a unique thermal warming system which gently heats the patient's arm as it forces warm air through a double walled polythene glove. It achieved 87.5 per cent first time intravenous cannulation success with difficult vascular access in oncology in the first NHS trust patient service evaluation.
Mr Benedetti, the father of violinist and GCU Honorary Graduate Nicola Benedetti who won a Grammy Award this week for best classical instrumental solo, said he was delighted to present the equipment to the School.
He said: "I am delighted to be donating four Airglove units to Glasgow Caledonian University. This innovation has taken over five years of research and development which the University has very much been part of.
"Airglove is now in over 100 NHS hospitals and it is my pleasure to help with training our future healthcare professionals in venodilation to allow for the safe delivery of life saving drugs and medication."
Staff joined Mr Benedetti, Green Cross Operations Director Sandi Puri and Marketing and Design Director Sheena Jack for the presentation and demonstration in the SHLS Interprofessional Simulation Centre.
SHLS Vice Dean Professor Anita Simmers, who has known Mr Benedetti for many years, said: "We are absolutely delighted to receive the Airglove donation from Gio and Green Cross Medico. Having access to this medical kit further embeds the advanced clinical skills of our nursing students and staff. It also strengthens our links with entrepreneurial industry and innovation in Scotland."
Dr Chris Darbyshire, Deputy Head of Department of Nursing and Community Health, explained how the new devices will help students.
"Airglove thermal warming device will support the learning of our nursing students within a simulated environment to undertake intravenous (IV) cannulations for patients who have difficulties in accessing a vein for obtaining blood samples.
"The use of the Airglove thermal warming device will enhance our students' clinical skills and allow them to reflect meaningfully on their current practice and ultimately enhance their future competencies as a registered nurse."
SHLS staff and students worked with Mr Benedetti in a study which showed statistically significant vasodilation when compared to the conventional warm-water immersion method using medical ultrasound to measure the extent of the venodilation.