title: An introduction to the Micrel Micropump MP Daily portable syringe driver.
abstract: In this article the author describes the Micrel Micropump MP Daily (MP Daily) portable syringe driver. This follows the author's experience of a 4-month pilot of the device by an inpatient palliative care unit. Portable syringe drivers are commonly used to deliver continuous subcutaneous infusions in palliative care situations. Those in current use are not without problems and serious adverse events have occasionally been reported, mainly resulting from confusion between models. The MP Daily syringe driver addresses some of these issues while remaining small, lightweight and inexpensive, with a long battery life and fitting into the pocket of a shirt of pyjama jacket. Improvements over current models include an on/off button, the absence of facilities to set a zero rate or change the rate once the syringe driver is running, and the absence of a boost button. In addition, there are improved alarms, a message display system and a configuration menu. Although confusion remains a problem, and the ideal has not yet been reached, the MP Daily goes some considerable way towards reducing risks and opportunities for human error.
authors.affiliation: West Lancs, Southport, Merseyside, UK. kegroves@doctors.org.uk
authors.forename: Karen E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Groves
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D004868:Equipment Failure; D006801:Humans; D007260:Infusion Pumps / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards; D007263:Infusions, Parenteral / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods*; D018579:Patient Selection; D040521:Subcutaneous Tissue