Start‐up delays of infusion syringe pumps

Abstract

Background: We performed a bench experiment to investigate the extent of start‐up delays in fluid delivery for four different syringe pumps after initially placing the infusion syringe in the syringe pump. Methods: Pump performance was determined at an infusion rate of 1 ml·h⁻¹ with and without a fluid bolus delivered by the infusion pump prior to connecting the infusion line to the simulated patient. Results: The time (mean ± SD) from starting the pump up to first fluid delivery (t₁) differed considerably between pumps (from 6.75 ± 4.4 to 57.2 ± 28.6 min) as did the time to steady state fluid delivery (t₂) (from 19.6 ± 9.3 to 76.3 ± 29.0 min). Applying an initial bolus of 2 ml before connecting the line to the simulated patient practically eliminated the delay in fluid delivery (t₁ ranging from 0.3 ± 0.1 to 1.1 ± 0.8 min). This manoeuvre also reduced the time to steady flow delivery (t₂ from 6.0 ± 3.1 to 11.1 ± 4.3 min, PConclusions: Syringe pump design affects start‐up delay times because of free play of the syringe. These delays can be eliminated by a start‐up bolus of 2 ml prior to connecting the infusion line to the patient.