Investigation of Drug Solution Mixability in a Portable Infusion Pump and a Safe Pump-Filling Method

Abstract

It has been reported that 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and saline were not mixed homogeneously in some portable infusion pumps when saline was loaded first and then 5-FU was added.We evaluated whether the homogeneity of the mixture can be improved by modifying the loading method. The ratio between a glucose solution instead of 5-FU and saline and the order of their loading were changed, and differences in the glucose concentration were evaluated by labeling with ethyl hydroxybenzoate. While characteristic unevenness of the concentration was noted when glucose solution was loaded after saline, as has been reported, the unevenness was reduced by mixing the contents by inverting the pump after loading regardless of the mixing ratio. Therefore, in loading drugs with high biological toxicity such as 5-FU, the homogeneity of the mixture is considered to be improved, and the safety of the procedure to be improved by reducing the risk of exposure if the drug is loaded after physiologic saline and mixed by inversion.