IV Equipment & Infusion Technology Flashcards

What is the primary safety advantage of a 'smart pump' (dose-error reduction software) over a standard infusion pump?

Answer: It uses drug libraries with hard and soft limits to alert clinicians to potential dosing errors

Smart pumps use built-in drug libraries with hard limits (preventing dangerous doses) and soft limits (generating warnings) to reduce IV medication administration errors.

Which type of infusion pump delivers medication at precise low rates (e.g., 0.1 mL/hour) and is most appropriate for neonatal or critical care medication delivery?

Answer: Syringe pump

Syringe pumps deliver extremely small, precise volumes using a motor-driven syringe plunger, making them ideal for neonatal and critical care low-volume medication infusions.

What does an occlusion alarm on an infusion pump indicate?

Answer: Resistance detected in the IV line, suggesting a kinked tubing, closed clamp, or blocked catheter

An occlusion alarm indicates the pump sensor has detected abnormal resistance in the delivery line, which may be caused by a kinked tube, closed clamp, positional catheter, or clotted catheter.

A gravity infusion is running slower than ordered. Which is the most common correctable cause?

Answer: IV bag positioned too low relative to the insertion site, reducing gravitational pressure

Gravity infusion rate depends on the height difference between the IV bag and the insertion site; a bag hung too low reduces hydrostatic pressure and slows the drip rate.

Which of the following is the correct method for priming IV tubing to remove air before connecting to a patient?

Answer: Open the clamp and allow fluid to slowly fill the tubing from top to bottom until all air is expelled, then close the clamp

Proper IV tubing priming requires opening the clamp and slowly filling the tubing from the drip chamber downward, expelling all air before clamping and connecting to the patient.

What is the purpose of a backcheck valve in a secondary IV (piggyback) administration setup?

Answer: To prevent secondary medication from infusing into the primary bag and to allow primary solution to resume automatically after the secondary infusion completes

The backcheck valve in a piggyback setup prevents the secondary drug from entering the primary IV bag and allows primary solution to flow automatically when the secondary bag empties.