ENPlus

Information Sheet

ENLock and ENPlus: A New Era of Enteral Nutrition Connections and a Step Forward in Patient Safety

September 2012: As part of a continuous improvement programme and in response to healthcare community requests, Medical Nutrition International Industry (MNI) today announces the September 2012 European launch of a new enteral tubing connection system to help avoid accidental misconnections between enteral nutrition and intravenous (IV) delivery systems. ENLock and ENPlus connection systems are enteral nutrition specific and are designed to be incompatible with IV “Luer” based delivery systems, thereby increasing patient safety in the hospital as well as in the home. These connectors resulted from nutrition industry collaboration and will be marketed by enteral nutrition medical device manufacturers in Europe.

The ENLock connection system ensures that only enteral nutrition can be delivered through enteral nutrition delivery systems, and is incompatible with IV system “Luer” connectors: The ENLock connection system includes a connector for enteral administration sets as well as a ‘funnel‘ for feeding tubes such as NasoGastric tubes and PEGs. ENLock syringes and ENLock medication ports prohibit connection from and to IV lines.

The ENPlus connection system ensures that only enteral nutrition feed containers can be attached to enteral feed administration sets and that enteral nutrition administration sets cannot be connected to IV solution containers. Additionally, IV spikes are incompatible with enteral nutrition containers that carry the ENPlus port. The ENPlus connection system includes a plus shaped (+) connector attached to enteral administration sets as well as a corresponding plus shaped (+) port located on feed containers. ENPlus and the current 40 mm Screwcap will co-exist as safe system alternatives.

Products with ENLock and ENPlus connections will be introduced to European market as of September 2012. ENLock adapters have already appeared on some products in Europe as from January 2012. A rollout to other regions is ongoing (e.g. ENPlus has already been launched in North America). For more information on ENLock and ENPlus, please contact one of the companies below.

About MNI

The Medical Nutrition International Industry (MNI) is the international trade association for companies providing products and services that support patient management and rehabilitation by the appropriate use of specialised nutritional solutions, including both parenteral and enteral nutrition. Founded in 2006, our six members are renowned international companies in medical nutrition: Abbott Nutrition, Baxter, B.Braun, Fresenius Kabi, Nestlé Health Science, and Nutricia Advanced Medical Nutrition. For more information on the MNI, please visit www.medicalnutritionindustry.com.