title: Using body weight as a pre-hospital fluid infusion device: the relationship between under-body position and flow rate.
abstract: This study was designed to identify the most effective underbody position when using the patient's own body weight as an infusion device. Twenty volunteers had an air-less 500 ml bag of saline located at various under-body positions. Mean pressures and flow rates through a 14G cannula were measured in vitro at room temperature. Locating the fluid bag at the buttock cleft delivered the highest mean flow rate at 135 ml/min. This underbody position may provide flow rates sufficient to achieve the clinical aim of fluid resuscitation in the military pre-hospital environment.
authors.affiliation: Military Reader in Anaesthesia, Royal Centre for Defence Medicine. j.l.tong@bham.ac.uk
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Tong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001835:Body Weight; D002404:Catheterization / Q000295:instrumentation; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000379:methods*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005440:Fluid Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel; D055815:Young Adult