Syringe driver
| Syringe driver | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Steps | 1. Needle inserted and held in place under skin, 2. Medicines put in syringe, 3. Tube connected between syringe and needle, 4. Pump set to drive medicnes through tube at steady rate[1] |
A syringe driver, also known as a syringe pump, is a small battery-powered pump used to give gradual fluids and medicines via a needle just under the skin.[2] It is frequently used to administer pain relief and anti-sickness medicines to control symptoms in end of life care.[2][1]
Uses
Syringe drivers can be used for electrospinning, electrospraying, microdialysis, microfluidics, dispensing/dilution, tissue perfusion, and fluid circulation. It may be used in chemical and biomedical research. Some syringe drivers can both infuse and withdraw solutions.
Intravenous therapy
Syringe drivers are useful for delivering intravenous (IV) therapies over several minutes. They infuse solutions at a constant rate.[3] In the case of a medication which should be slowly pushed in over the course of several minutes, this device saves staff time and reduces medical errors. It is useful for patients who cannot take medicines orally (such as those with difficulty swallowing), and for medications too harmful to be taken orally.[4]
Palliative care
It may be used to administer pain relief and anti-sickness medicines in end of life care.[2] This prevents periods during which medication levels in the blood are too high or too low, and avoids the use of multiple tablets. As medication is administered subcutaneously, the area of administration is practically limitless, although edema may interfere with the action of some drugs.
Research
Syringe pumps are useful in microfluidic applications, such as microreactor design and testing, and also in chemistry for slow incorporation of a fixed volume of fluid into a solution. In enzyme kinetics studies, syringe drivers can be used to observe rapid kinetics as part of a stopped flow apparatus.[5] They are also sometimes used as laboratory media dispensers.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Syringe drivers | continuous subcutaneous infusion". Marie Curie. Archived from the original on 7 October 2022. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "BPJ 48: When and how to use a syringe driver in palliative care". bpac.org.nz. Archived from the original on 12 November 2022. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
- ↑ Bø, Kari; Berghmans, Bary; Mørkved, Siv; Van Kampen, Marijke, eds. (2015-01-01), "Chapter 5 - Measurement of pelvic floor muscle function and strength, and pelvic organ prolapse", Evidence-Based Physical Therapy for the Pelvic Floor (Second Edition), Churchill Livingstone, pp. 43–109, ISBN 978-0-7020-4443-4, archived from the original on 2021-01-21, retrieved 2021-01-13
- ↑ "How do I administer anti-emetic drugs via a syringe driver?". NICE. October 2016. Archived from the original on 18 September 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
- ↑ Fersht, Alan (1985). Enzyme structure and mechanism. San Francisco: W.H. Freeman. p. 123. ISBN 0-7167-1614-3.