Syringe pumps and start-up time: ensuring safe practice.
The start-up time is the delay between starting an infusion pump and the delivery of fluid at the set flow rate. Mechanical slack in syringe pumps can lead to start-up delays of an hour or more at low-flow rates. During this period no medication is delivered to the patient. The causes of the start-up time delay, its implications and methods of minimising the delay are explained.
Amoore
J
J
Department of Medical Physics, University Hospitals NHS Trust, Edinburgh.
Dewar
D
D
Ingram
P
P
Lowe
D
D
D004282:Documentation; D004867:Equipment Design; D004868:Equipment Failure; D006801:Humans; D007260:Infusion Pumps / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000592:standards*; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000451:nursing* / Q000592:standards; D009737:Nursing Records; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D017751:Safety Management / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013997:Time Factors