The average hospital needs a lot of equipment to run effectively. In fact, at any one time, your typical hospital will either own or rent over 35,000 SKUs of equipment. One vital piece of equipment to hospitals are IV pumps — and more recently, IV infusion pumps. If you need to get fluids or medication to a person quickly, IVs are the best way to do so and can help stabilize a patient and save their lives. Indeed, the Material Services department at the University of Michigan Health Systems reports that over 85% of patients in hospital beds need an infusion pump. That’s a high percentage, which is why IVs and IV infusion pumps are such crucial pieces of equipment in any hospital. We’ll discuss how they work, why it’s important to have them on hand, and what you should look for in a company when acquiring IV infusion pumps.

Tell Me More About IVs and IV Infusion Pumps 

IV stands for intravenous therapy and overall is touted as the quickest method of getting fluids or medications into the body. The bioavailability absorption rate is 100%. It can be administered either through a syringe injection (using a needle) or via infusion (usually referred to as drips). IV fluid is needed to pass other fluids or medication through and the most common type is saline solution (0.9% sodium chloride).

Infusion pumps have been used since the late 1960s and it’s predicted that the market globally for them will be over $5,000 million by 2024. There are two main types of infusion pumps — large volume pumps and small-volume pumps. Large volume pumps are typically used to give nutrient solutions that can feed a patient, whereas small-volume pumps provide medicines or hormones to the patient.

What are the Benefits of Using Infusion Pumps? 

We know that there are two ways of ensuring that a person is getting the right amount of IV fluids at the right time — either adjusting and monitoring by hand or using an electric pump. More and more hospitals are opting to use a smart infusion pump, according to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists’ report. They showed that in 2013, almost 73% of all hospitals in the United States used smart infusion pumps, compared to just 44% in 2007.

Infusion pumps are wonderful because the margin of error is reduced and nurses don’t need to program things manually (taking human error out of the equation). They have a greater accuracy rate and are also optimal for higher fluid flows. Alternately, because of their precision, they’re also quite useful if only a small volume is needed.

They can be programmed to release fluids either at one continuous rate or in smaller, set intervals, but without the need for a nurse to come reset or adjust it each time. It frees up already busy nurses to attend to other concerns and issues with the patient and ensures that the patient is getting what they need when they need it.

What Should I Look For When Trying to Get Infusion Pumps? 

You want a company with a good reputation and who offers a range of products, from new to gently used. Bonus points if they’re versatile in the way that they offer the equipment, like with MedOne, that offers the options to rent, lease, or sell equipment. If your hospital is working with limited funds or you don’t want to make the commitment to one type of infusion model, a lease or a rental agreement can be the perfect option for you.

There are also increasing functions and features for pumps on the market now, so you’ll want to do your research and see what’s the best fit for your needs and what seems to be working at other hospitals.

In short, having reliable IV infusion pumps can make your patients more comfortable, lift one duty off the medical staff, and ensure that accuracy and reliability are a given. They’re worthwhile equipment to invest in.