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Accuflow an infusion rate monitor: an evaluation in pediatric patients
Prerana Shroff1, R D Patel, Sona Dave
1Department of Anaesthesiology, GSMC and KEM Hospital, Mumbai, India.
Insights
The ACCUFLOW infusion rate monitor accurately tracks fluid delivery in pediatric surgical patients compared to manual readings. This low-cost device offers reliable monitoring and alerts for infusion rate deviations.
Area of Science:
- Medical Devices
- Pediatric Surgery
- Anesthesiology
Background:
- Accurate intravenous (IV) fluid infusion is critical in pediatric surgery.
- Manual monitoring of infusion rates can be labor-intensive and prone to errors.
- Novel devices are needed to enhance infusion accuracy and patient safety.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the accuracy of the ACCUFLOW infusion rate monitor against manual readings.
- To evaluate the utility of ACCUFLOW in pediatric surgical patients.
Main Methods:
- An observational study involving 47 pediatric patients undergoing elective surgery.
- Intravenous fluid infusion rates were adjusted using ACCUFLOW.
- ACCUFLOW readings were compared with simultaneous manual readings every 15 minutes for one hour.
Main Results:
- 470 observations were collected, showing good agreement between ACCUFLOW and manual readings.
- Bland Altman analysis revealed minimal bias and no significant difference between the two methods (61-74 drops/min).
- ACCUFLOW alarms triggered in 9 cases due to flow variations (e.g., no flow, excess flow, slow flow).
Conclusions:
- ACCUFLOW is a cost-effective device for monitoring and adjusting infusion flow rates in pediatric surgical patients.
- The integrated alarm system effectively alerts nursing staff to infusion deviations.
- ACCUFLOW presents a viable option for resource-limited settings, though further studies are needed for infants and longer infusions.
Objective:
To evaluate the accuracy of ACCUFLOW an infusion rate monitor as compared to manual reading in pediatric surgical patients.
Methods:
An observational study in 47 pediatric patients undergoing elective surgical procedures and needing an intravenous fluid with expected duration of infusion of at least one hour. The infusion rate was adjusted to the required flow rate with the help of the display on the ACCUFLOW. The flow rate as indicated by the ACCUFLOW display was checked every 15 minutes till the end of one hour. A simultaneous record of manual readings was also made.
Results:
A total of 470 observations were made over the one hour observation period. The infusion rate as observed on the LCD display of the ACCUFLOW compared well with manual reading. A Bland Altman analysis showed the bias between the readings with the two methods to be very small and that there is no significant difference between the methods over the drop rate of 61-74 drops/min. In addition an alarm was heard in 9 cases. The alarm was mainly because of no flow or excess flow (3 cases each). Other causes for the alarm included slow flow, faulty i.v. lines showing fluctuations in flow rate and drip chamber not placed properly (1 patient each).
Conclusion:
ACCUFLOW is a low cost device that can be used to adjust and monitor the infusion flow rate. The alarm would alert the nursing staff when there is deviation from the preset rate of infusion. ACCUFLOW could thus be an attractive option for infusion rate monitoring in developing countries with limited healthcare resources and skewed patient nurse ratios. However applicability to infants and younger children and for longer infusions needs to be determined.
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