An Infusion Pump: How To Use And Patient Care

An infusion pump is part of the system used to deliver a drug into the patient’s bloodstream. Thanks to infusion pumps, the medical team can easily administer different products.

Types of infusion pumps

In general, there are two main types of infusion pumps, with the second system undoubtedly being the most widely used. In the rest of this article, we will only refer to this type of infusion pump.

An epidural infusion pump

This is a system for the intrathecal administration of drugs. This means that the drug reaches the cerebrospinal fluid that surrounds the spinal cord. An example is an epidural that some women receive during labour.

It often requires expensive materials and is not so easy to use. However, it works best in certain cases. Therefore, doctors often use it for terminally ill patients or patients who are in severe pain.

An intravenous infusion pump

On the other hand, an intravenous infusion pump allows the drugs to deliver medication and/or fluid directly into the patient’s bloodstream. It is essentially the same system as a regular drip, but it has very interesting features that set it apart.

• For example, it can administer very small amounts.
• Another advantage is that it is easy to program, which means that the patient receives the administration at the right time.

• Additional medication can also be added via this system.

How does an infusion pump work?

In certain clinical cases, doctors resort to this device to administer something. With the aid of an infusion pump, it is thus possible to introduce the required substance into the patient’s bloodstream at the desired rate. An infusion pump can deliver drugs continuously or intermittently.

There are, as it were, two main types of administrations that can be used.

• On the one hand, enteral administrations can be used. This is called the oral route, so through the mouth and stomach. Think, for example, of tube feeding, which is led through a tube through the nose to the stomach.
• On the other hand, doctors can resort to parenteral IVs. The desired substance is introduced directly into the bloodstream.

In this way, nurses save time and energy in controlling the transfer of these fluids. In the past, they often had to check a number of things such as:

• the position of the patient
• the catheter
• the duration of the procedure
• and so forth

Thanks to infusion pumps, they can achieve greater dose accuracy and allow the patient to move more freely (within certain limits). Also, these pumps reduce potential risks or complications.

There are different types of ambulatory infusion pumps. They differ according to their capacity and the type of programming they require.

patient care

If the patient is allowed to operate the infusion pump himself, the medical team will explain how to use the infusion pump. The team will also share a set of recommendations that the patient should follow during treatment with this device. Usually these devices are easy to program. Despite this, the patient should consult a specialist if he has any questions.

Sometimes an automatic programming is used that is protected by a password. In this way, patients who may become disoriented or confused cannot unexpectedly change the rate of administration.

Specialists also need to make sure that the batteries are changed on time with an ambulatory pump, so that the device can never go out. During a hospitalization, the pump is actually always connected via a plug. In the event of a power failure, the battery takes over automatically.

In some clinical cases, the medical team may need to administer the initial dose of a particular drug. This is the case, for example, when medication has to be injected with the aid of a needle.

Finally, the doctor should also advise the patient on the lifestyle to adopt while administering an infusion. He should think of things such as:

• personal hygiene
• nutrition
• physical activities