The New System of Continuous Arterial Infusion for Newborns

Abstract

Since monitoring arterial blood gasses (PaO2, PaCO2, pH) and blood pressure is important in the management of severly ill newborns, the arterial lines must be kept open for days and weeks by continuous infusion with either MEDI-QUIC and Intraflo or a syringe pump. However, these currently available systems have some disadvantages when they are used in newborns.The volume of infusion may not be countable and large enough to carry the risk of overhydration when MEDI-QUIC is used. Although the flow is constant and countable when a syringe pump is employed, the system does not respond to quick change in the pressure without a moment of delay because of relatively high compliance of the system. A new system which does not have these disadvantage was reported. It was constructed in a way that an Intraflo was connected to a syringe pump. An Intraflo was used for increase in pressure in the syringe so that the compliance in the system decreased. The syringe pump could control the flow constant and minimum.