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We Know: All About Infusion Pumps
What is an infusion pump?
An infusion pump is used to push medication, nutrients, or fluids into the bloodstream. Though sometimes used as an
epidural, arterially, or subcutaneously, an infusion pump is most often used intravenously.
A big advantage to infusion pumps is that they can be easily controlled, even in amounts much too small for a drip. They
can be automatically administered in certain dosages every minute, or by the patient as needed with a maximum allowable number of
injections per hour.
Infusion Types
There are a variety of infusion pumps available, depending on the patient's needs:
- Total parenteral nutrition: These pumps usually work in conjunction with the patient's eating schedule.
- Intermittent infusion: Can be automatically timed to pump antibiotics or other medications that are at risk for
irritating blood vessels if syringes were to be used.
- Patient-controlled: The infusion rate of what in most cases is pain medication is self-administered by the
patient as needed, with a maximum amount allowable within a given period of time.
- Continuous infusion: In most cases a small amount of fluid is pumped in small pulses at a set speed.
Infusion Pump Types
Some infusion pumps are portable while others are designed for hospital use:
- A computer controlled motor drives a screw that pushes the syringe plunge to pump small dosages. These are used to
infuse medicines (including pain medication) and hormones (including insulin).
- Large volume pumps are used to feed patients nutrients. They are also often used in battle conditions as patients may
need vast amounts of fluid fast.
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