Infusion pump

Infusion pumps can administer fluids in ways that would be impractically expensive or unreliable if performed manually by nursing staff.

The user interface of pumps usually requests details on the type of infusion from the technician or nurse that sets them up: To get the entire dose of antibiotics into the patient, the "volume to be infused" or VTBI must be programmed for at least 30 CCs more than is in the medication bag; failure to do so can potentially result in up to half of the antibiotic being left in the IV tubing.

Some pumps offer modes in which the amounts can be scaled or controlled based on the time of day.

Small-volume pumps usually use a computer-controlled motor turning a screw that pushes the plunger on a syringe.

The classic medical improvisation for an infusion pump is to place a blood pressure cuff around a bag of fluid.

A pressure bottle, restrictor and chamber requires more nursing attention than electronically controlled pumps.

Small bubbles could cause harm in arteries, but in the veins they pass through the heart and leave in the patients' lungs.

Basically, a bag of salt solution absorbs water through a membrane, swelling its volume.

Battlefields often have a need to perfuse large amounts of fluid quickly, with dramatically changing blood pressures and patient condition.

They could include wireless connectivity, drug libraries, profiles of care areas, and soft and hard limits.

It cited software defects, user interface issues, and mechanical or electrical failures as the main causes of adverse events.