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The Alton Dean pressure infusor: an evaluation.
J M Lalor1, J C Ortiz, A Holdcroft
1Department of Anaesthetics, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, Hammersmith Hospital, London.
Anaesthesia
|September 1, 1991
Summary
The Alton Dean infusor and cloth pressure bags maintained consistent pressure with compressed air, unlike plastic bags. Modifications may improve the Alton Dean system's leak and valve issues for better infusion delivery.
Area of Science:
- Medical Devices
- Infusion Therapy Technology
- Anesthesiology Equipment
Background:
- Pneumatically pressurized infusion bags are common in clinical settings.
- Accurate and consistent pressure delivery is crucial for safe and effective fluid administration.
- Different types of pressure infusion devices exist, including cloth bags, plastic bags, and automated systems like the Alton Dean infusor.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the performance of the Alton Dean automatically pressurized infusor system with traditional cloth and plastic pneumatically pressurized bags.
- To evaluate the accuracy and consistency of pressure gauges and maintenance across different infusion devices.
- To assess the capabilities of these devices for sequential and simultaneous infusions.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of three types of pressure infusion devices: Alton Dean infusor, cloth pressure bags, and plastic pressure bags.
- Testing of pressure gauge accuracy and pressure maintenance capabilities.
- Evaluation of device performance during sequential and simultaneous fast infusions.
- Assessment of device reliability, including checks for leaks and ease of valve manipulation.
Main Results:
- All tested infusors featured reasonably accurate pressure gauges.
- Consistent pressure maintenance was achieved with cloth bags and the Alton Dean infusor when connected to a compressed air supply.
- Sequential fast infusions were feasible with all devices.
- Simultaneous infusions were limited when the pressure infusor was directly connected to pipeline gas.
- One Alton Dean infusor exhibited a pressurization system leak, and its pressure adjustment valves were difficult to operate.
Conclusions:
- Cloth bags and the Alton Dean infusor offer reliable pressure maintenance when using compressed air.
- The Alton Dean infusor system may require modifications to address leaks and improve valve usability for optimal clinical performance.
- Further evaluation is needed to fully understand the clinical implications of the observed limitations.