title: Improving patient outcomes: transfusion with infusion pump for peripherally inserted central catheters and other vascular access devices.
abstract: Until recently, the authors' facility used a gravity-flow administration set for blood transfusions. This precluded using peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) for transfusions. A peripheral catheter was placed in these patients when transfusions were required. The goal of this project was to demonstrate that administration of blood products with an infusion pump is safe, timesaving, and cost-effective for patients with all types of vascular access devices. A total of 169 blood products were transfused. Use of the infusion pump showed no PICC failure, resulted in shorter transfusion times, and was cost-effective.
authors.affiliation: Oncology Unit, York Hospital, York, Pennsylvania 17405, USA. dhouck@wellspan.org
authors.forename: Dereen
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Houck
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Whiteford
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000295:instrumentation*; D002405:Catheterization, Central Venous; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007260:Infusion Pumps; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome