Med One Blog

What is the purpose of infusion pumps? This essential medical device is a necessity in any hospital or nursing home throughout the country. It's the primary way that medical professionals are able to deliver fluids to a patient in a controlled manner.

In order to provide the highest quality of care to your patients, your facility needs to be outfitted with the best equipment available. However, a growing business may not always have the funds to purchase that medical equipment outright. Often, it's clear that the most cost-effective option may be securing financing for medical equipment or to consider hospital equipment rentals.

By now, you may be aware that there are two ways to regulate the amount and rate of fluids given through an IV: manually and using an electric pump. If your medical facility takes advantage of the efficiency and convenience of infusion pumps for patient treatment, it's essential to understand the specific purpose of infusion pumps so you can make the best decisions for your facility and patient needs.

By Ibby Smith Stofer

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Since the late 1960s, infusion pumps have been used by hospitals and healthcare facilities to administer fluids and medications to patients in need. In the modern age, smart pumps emerged as the new and improved versions of IV pumps. Capable of recognizing and preventing medication errors and promoting greater patient satisfaction, these smart infusion pumps are now a ubiquitous sight in just about any medical center throughout the United States.

If they have prescribed you an IV-delivered medication or are receiving care frequently at a hospital, you’re likely wondering about how to set up an IV infusion pump and the different infusion pumps that exist. IV infusion pumps are a common sight in hospitals and other healthcare settings, so understanding a little about how they work can help make your treatment less stressful. There are a few different IV pumps that exist; read on to learn more about them.

It’s nearly impossible for a hospital to own every single piece of equipment it has. Given that the typical hospital owns or rents over 35,000 different pieces of equipment, this makes sense. Medical equipment rentals can also keep costs down, which is important given that in 2013, the average cost of a one-day stay in the hospital was over $4,000. Infusion pumps are common medical equipment rentals because of their high volume of usage in a hospital. An IV is a fairly ubiquitous sight in a hospital and infusion pumps can regulate the amount and rate of fluids being administered much more easily. Plus, they reduce the margin of error, which pretty much every hospital would like to avoid.

Intravenous (or IV) therapy has been used widely since the 1960s and is considered to be the fastest way to deliver fluids and medications into the body (yielding a bioavailability absorption of 100%). But just like any piece of medical equipment or any healthcare treatment, infusion systems are not without their drawbacks. IV pump training, combined with advancements in the field, can make their use more beneficial --and far less risky --to patients.

The Materiel Services Department at the University of Michigan Health Systems estimates that 86% of all patients admitted to hospital beds require infusion pumps. In many cases, patient-controlled analgesia (or PCA) is the best way to ensure medication is administered effectively and safely while giving the patient a better sense of control over their treatment.

No matter how organized your hospital may be, there is always the potential for a risky situation to occur. Before your facility experiences a performance problem with your infusion pump, try reducing risks with these essential tips.