Infusion pumps are a vital part of the healthcare industry. Whether used for delivering medicines or feeding patients, infusion pumps are an integral part of our daily lives. And yet, as the number of these devices increases, so does the risk of human error.
Medical device companies that manufacture infusion pumps are constantly seeking ways to improve the safety and reliability of their products. The latest advancement in this field? Smarter infusion pumps!
This blog post will look at how these new tools will help improve IV infusion safety through smarter technology.
Infusion Pumps and their Smart Counterparts
In the medical device industry, infusion pumps are ubiquitous. They’re used to deliver drugs and fluids intravenously. As a result, they’re a common point of failure in the healthcare system.
That’s why it’s more important than ever for IV infusion pumps to be smart enough to monitor their performance and make adjustments when necessary. The stakes are high for both patients and medical professionals: if an infusion pump fails to deliver the correct dose of medication, patients can be left with painful side effects or even death.
Unfortunately, smart pumps are still plagued by design defects that put patients in danger, despite their widespread use. Over- or under-infusion, component failure, battery death, alarm malfunction, and software glitches are some of the most often reported concerns with smart pumps.
Thankfully, several smart solutions are being developed across the industry that can help prevent these potential problems from happening in the first place.
How to Take Precautions for Patient Safety through Smart Infusion Pumps?
The infusion pump is a medical device helpful in providing patients with continuous medication. However, they can also threaten patient safety due to their complexity and non-compliance with safety standards.
Smart infusion pumps solve this problem by automating IV drug administration more safely. They provide real-time reporting about the status of the fluid being administered and alert doctors about any possible errors or issues that may occur during administration.
The following are some ways smart infusion pumps can improve patient safety:
Real-Time Monitoring
Smart infusion pumps give healthcare providers a clear view of the medication delivered to patients and real-time information on pump status, alarms, and alerts. This helps them monitor the patient’s health status throughout the infusion process. This process facilitates doctors and nurses to immediately detect any anomaly in their patients’ health conditions and take appropriate action if needed.
Automatic stop
Smart infusion pumps stop automatically when the set dose is reached or when there is a power failure.
Intelligent alarms
Smart infusion pumps provide audible and visual alarms when they detect air bubbles in IV tubes or a malfunctioning pump component (such as a faulty sensor). This helps caregivers quickly identify potential problems to take action before serious harm occurs to patients.
Zero dead space
Smart infusion pumps have zero dead space, meaning all the fluid is delivered into your body rather than wasted in the tubing between doses.
Monitoring IV fluid flow rate
Smart infusion pumps measure fluid flow rate through a sensor inside the tubing. This allows healthcare providers to monitor fluid flow and make sure it is appropriate for each patient’s condition and needs at that moment in time.
Reducing Medication Errors
They improve accuracy by automatically calculating the correct dose based on information like the patient’s height, weight, and age.
Infusion pumps are one of the most widely used medical equipment in Australia. By switching to smart infusion pumps, hospitals and emergency centres can eliminate human error and offer better care to all patients.
