Alteration in flow delivery with antisyphon devices.

Area of Science:

• Medical Devices
• Pharmacology
• Clinical Engineering

Background:

• Syringe drivers are commonly used for medication delivery.
• Antisyphon devices are incorporated into some infusion sets to prevent backflow.
• The impact of these devices on infusion start-up time is not well-established.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effect of antisyphon devices on the time to initial flow from syringe drivers.
• To compare the start-up time of infusion sets with different antisyphon devices against a control.

Main Methods:

• Tested antisyphon devices from B Braun, Wescott, and Vygon.
• Integrated devices between a 50-ml syringe and extension set, primed with saline.
• Measured start-up time in four identical syringe drivers at 2, 10, and 50 ml/h, repeated 15 times each.

Main Results:

• At 2 ml/h, all antisyphon devices significantly increased start-up time compared to the control (p < 0.0001).
• The delay in initial flow was less pronounced at higher infusion rates (10 and 50 ml/h).
• Variability in start-up times was observed across different antisyphon device manufacturers.

Conclusions:

• Antisyphon devices can introduce a clinically relevant delay in the onset of infusion from syringe drivers, particularly at low flow rates.
• Healthcare professionals must recognize this delay to prevent potential under-infusion or delayed therapy.
• Further investigation into optimizing antisyphon device design or alternative strategies to mitigate start-up delays is warranted.