Infusion Pumps: Use, Maintenance, and Mitigating Risk

Few medical facilities operate without an infusion pump. This versatile piece of equipment delivers fluids into a patient’s body in a controlled manner and can be found in various settings, from hospitals to the home.

Despite their necessity, infusion pumps do not come without risks. It is paramount for healthcare providers to understand how to best use this equipment, the type of maintenance that is required, and strategies that should be implemented to mitigate harm occurring to the patient.

Paragon Care’s comprehensive product portfolio includes all the equipment necessary to provide infusion therapy, complemented by extensive medical equipment services. We are proud of the role we play in helping protect the health and wellbeing of your patients.

IV therapy explained

Infusion therapy enables medication and nutrients to be delivered to a patient in a consistent, controlled fashion.

In certain situations, a patient may not be able to receive liquid orally — perhaps they have sustained an injury to their mouth or have been placed in an induced coma. Infusion therapy is the next best option.

Alternatively, some medications are more effective when delivered intravenously. IV therapy is also often used to help patients rehydrate.

One of the most significant advantages of infusion therapy is that it allows for controlled dosing. Controlled dosing may be critical in relation to the effectiveness of the medication or alternatively permits the swift delivery of life-saving drugs.

The role of the infusion pump

There are many different types of infusion pumps. Pumps should only be used for their intended purpose; failure to adhere to manufacturer’s advice can put a patient at significant risk.

Infusion pumps can be divided into two broad categories: stationary, which sit at a patient’s bedside, and ambulatory, which can move with the patient. The latter is often used by patients who require infused medication on a regular basis and do not necessarily need to be monitored by a clinician. Patients receiving chemotherapy or treatment for diabetes, for example, may use an ambulatory infusion pump.

Within these categories there are numerous different types of infusion pumps, including large volume pumps, patient-controlled pumps, elastomeric pumps, syringe pumps, enteral pumps, and insulin pumps.

Safety issues

Infusion pumps may suffer from performance issues that put a patient’s wellbeing at risk. There is no one reason why performance issues occur. Sometimes, user error may be a contributing factor. Other times, hardware and software problems may be to blame. Regardless of the cause, any issue that affects the performance of an infusion pump may lead to under or over infusion.

Common infusion pump issues include:

• Electrical breakdowns
• Design faults
• Human error (providing the wrong dose, administering the wrong medication, incorrectly programming the pump)

Mitigating risk

Fortunately, there are a range of strategies that can be employed to reduce the risk of harm occurring to the patient.

As is the case with all types of equipment, proper training of all clinicians will help to reduce user error. If your medical facility utilises multiple types of infusion pumps, training should be implemented on each device.

NSW Health recommends a number of strategies to help protect patients being treated using an infusion pump, including:

• Positioning pumps away from potential sources of spillage.
• Never leaving a pump unattended until the desired flow has been established.
• Limiting the number of different types of infusion pumps your facility uses to avoid confusion and user error.
• Training staff appropriately.
• Removing all air from infusion pumps and lines before connecting them to patients.
• Monitoring fluid lines.
• Avoiding reconnecting partially emptied fluid bags.

Paragon Care — supplying high-quality equipment for all your healthcare needs

Infusion pumps are just one of the very many products available to healthcare providers through Paragon Care. Our goal to deliver the ultimate in healthcare today and tomorrow means we are constantly striving for ways to better serve the needs of our clients.

For more information about our product portfolio, range of medical equipment services, or to discuss how we can meet your infusion therapy needs, contact Paragon Care today.