OBJECTIVE: To determine whether variations in the flow rate of epinephrine solutions administered via commonly available infusion pumps lead to significant variations in blood pressure (BP) in vivo. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, crossover study with factorial design, using infusion pumps with four different operating mechanisms (pulsatile diaphragm, linear piston/syringe, cyclic piston-valve, and linear peristaltic) and three drug delivery rates (1, 5, and 10 mL/hr). SUBJECTS: Two healthy, mixed-breed dogs (12 to 16 kg). INTERVENTIONS: Dogs were made hypotensive with methohexital bolus and continuous infusion. BP was restored to normal with constant-dose epinephrine infusion via two pumps at each rate. MEASUREMENTS: Femoral mean arterial pressure (MAP) was recorded every 10 secs. Pump-flow continuity was quantitated in vitro using a digital gravimetric technique. Variations in MAP and flow continuity were expressed by the coefficient of variation; analysis of variance was used for comparisons. RESULTS: The mean coefficients of variations for MAP varied from 3.8 +/- 3.1% (linear piston/syringe) to 6.1 +/- 6.6% (linear peristaltic), and from 3.4 +/- 2.2% (10 mL/hr) to 7.9 +/- 6.6% (1 mL/hr). The coefficients of variation for in vitro flow continuity ranged from 9 +/- 8% (linear piston-syringe) to 250 +/- 162% (pulsatile diaphragm), and from 35 +/- 44% (10 mL/hr) to 138 +/- 196% (1 mL/hr). Both the type of pump and infusion rate significantly (p < .001) influenced variation in drug delivery rate. The 1 mL/hr infusion rate significantly (p < .01) influenced MAP variation. Cyclic fluctuations in MAP of < or = 30 mm Hg were observed using the pulsatile diaphragm pump at 1 mL/hr. CONCLUSION: Factors inherent in the operating mechanisms of infusion pumps may result in clinically important hemodynamic fluctuations when administering a concentrated short-acting vasoactive medication at slow infusion rates.
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether variations in the flow rate of epinephrine solutions administered via commonly available infusion pumps lead to significant variations in blood pressure (BP) in vivo. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, crossover study with factorial design, using infusion pumps with four different operating mechanisms (pulsatile diaphragm, linear piston/syringe, cyclic piston-valve, and linear peristaltic) and three drug delivery rates (1, 5, and 10 mL/hr). SUBJECTS: Two healthy, mixed-breed dogs (12 to 16 kg). INTERVENTIONS:Dogs were made hypotensive with methohexital bolus and continuous infusion. BP was restored to normal with constant-dose epinephrine infusion via two pumps at each rate. MEASUREMENTS: Femoral mean arterial pressure (MAP) was recorded every 10 secs. Pump-flow continuity was quantitated in vitro using a digital gravimetric technique. Variations in MAP and flow continuity were expressed by the coefficient of variation; analysis of variance was used for comparisons. RESULTS: The mean coefficients of variations for MAP varied from 3.8 +/- 3.1% (linear piston/syringe) to 6.1 +/- 6.6% (linear peristaltic), and from 3.4 +/- 2.2% (10 mL/hr) to 7.9 +/- 6.6% (1 mL/hr). The coefficients of variation for in vitro flow continuity ranged from 9 +/- 8% (linear piston-syringe) to 250 +/- 162% (pulsatile diaphragm), and from 35 +/- 44% (10 mL/hr) to 138 +/- 196% (1 mL/hr). Both the type of pump and infusion rate significantly (p < .001) influenced variation in drug delivery rate. The 1 mL/hr infusion rate significantly (p < .01) influenced MAP variation. Cyclic fluctuations in MAP of < or = 30 mm Hg were observed using the pulsatile diaphragm pump at 1 mL/hr. CONCLUSION: Factors inherent in the operating mechanisms of infusion pumps may result in clinically important hemodynamic fluctuations when administering a concentrated short-acting vasoactive medication at slow infusion rates.
Authors: Daniel Wren Wheeler; Beverley Ann Degnan; Jobanpreet Singh Sehmi; Rowan Margaret Burnstein; David Krishna Menon; Arun Kumar Gupta Journal: Intensive Care Med Date: 2008-04-22 Impact factor: 17.440