Infusion therapy (or the administration of drugs and blood to a patient using the dropper system) is recognized as one of the effective treatment methods. A dropper is a medical device with the help of which a rather large volume of liquid is introduced into the body of an individual. One end of it is connected to a vial or bag containing medicine or blood, and the other to the patient’s vein. The following types of systems are distinguished:
- dropper for blood transfusion (or in abbreviated form - PC);
- for transfusion of solutions - PR.
Dropper catheters
These medical devices are used to inject drugs into the bloodstream over an extended period. A catheter is a small hollow tube that is inserted into a vein in different parts of the body (arms, head, collarbone). With its help, injury to the vein is eliminated. Installation is carried out in stationary conditions. There are several types of catheters for droppers:
- Butterfly system. This medical device is a needle with plastic wings at its base. Their purpose is to attach the catheter to the patient’s skin.The advantage of such a system is the ease of use and formulation. The disadvantages include the fact that the needle is constantly in the vein, exposing it to injury during careless movement. The product is used quite often in cases of a single injection of drugs, which takes no more than two hours.
- For peripheral veins. This type is intended for long-term use. A product made of thin plastic. The needle is used only to pierce a vein and insert a catheter. Of the pluses, it is worth noting that the patient does not feel any inconvenience in the future, since the product itself is made of flexible plastic material. The catheter is changed after three days.
- For central veins. This system for insertion into the subclavian vein consists of a conductor, a catheter and a set of needles. Designed for the introduction of drugs into the bloodstream for a long period and is used in cardiac surgery, oncology, resuscitation. The establishment of such a catheter is considered a small surgical intervention and is performed by a resuscitator in a medical organization. This manipulation is accompanied by a large number of complications, therefore, peripheral veins are often used to administer drugs. The system is introduced into the peripheral and then pulled into the central vein. In this case, the likelihood of complications is reduced.
Regardless of the type of catheter, its size matters. They mark products according to the color scheme, depending on this parameter:
- Orange. This color refers to thick catheters designed for viscous solutions and blood components.
- Purple. This tone is used for the thinnest products that are used for infusion of solutions.
How to put the system (dropper)?
For its correct formulation requires a little preparatory work, which will be as follows:
- Install a dropper stand next to the patient, which is a stand on which the bag with the infused solution will be fixed.
- Wash your wrists and hands thoroughly with soap, not forgetting about the interdigital areas. Then they need to be wet dry, and not wiped. Or you can use any antiseptic intended for the treatment of hands.
- Verify the name of the drug prepared for administration with the appointment of the attending doctor.
- Prepare a system, a needle, a tourniquet, a patch for fixation, a cotton or gauze swab, an alcohol solution of chlorhexidine for sterilization.
- In the package with the drug, find the connection point to which the system will be connected and wipe it with a swab dipped in an alcohol solution.
- Attach a dropper and bag, hang on a rack.
- Withdraw all the bubbles.
- Wear gloves.
- Go to the patient.
Now proceeds directly to the formulation of the dropper:
- Bandage the hand over the puncture site with a tourniquet.
- Disinfect the injection site.
- Install a catheter, which is a small tube and is inserted with the needle, and after removing it remains in the vein. Position it at an angle of 30 degrees to the patient’s arm. Next, remove the needle, remove the tourniquet. Wipe the place where the catheter is fixed with an alcohol solution.
- Attach a dropper tube to the catheter, securing it with a band-aid.
- Adjust the speed of drug administration using a special wheel-clamp mounted on the system.
The effects of air entering a vein
A vein blockage can be caused by an air bubble that has got into it during intravenous administration of drugs with a syringe or with a dropper. The air bubble disrupts the microcirculation of the blood, blocking the lumen of the vessel, i.e., embolism develops.
This is especially dangerous when blocking large arteries and, accordingly, the penetration of a large volume of air. Immediately before the dropper is placed, air in the system is released, so the likelihood of air entering the vein is negligible. To avoid complications and are not afraid of intravenous drip infusions, experienced medical personnel should be entrusted with the performance of these manipulations.
What does a dropper consist of?
This medical device was invented in the thirties of the last century. However, since then it has not changed much, it has only been slightly improved. The medical system (dropper) consists of:
- solution flow rate regulator;
- a droplet former with a filter;
- needles;
- plastic tube systems.
Principle of operation
The liquid from the vial or bag under the influence of gravity enters the tube, passes through the droplet former, again passes through the tube and then enters the vein. The filter and air valve prevent the formation of negative pressure in the system. Otherwise, the liquid will not drip. There are needles on both sides of the dropper system, one of which is needed to connect to the medicine container, and the other to puncture the vein. The drug enters the reservoir through the filter and is then dosed using a pipette.
The existing regulator allows you to reduce or increase the speed of the drops, depending on how the drug is administered: drip or jet. The tank is initially filled with a small volume of liquid and make sure that there is no air in the tube. To start supplying the solution to the system, a needle is inserted into the lid of the container with the drug, which is used to supply air inside, otherwise the liquid will not leak. Currently, all medical organizations use disposable dropper systems, which is the safest.
Infusion therapy
The introduction of drugs directly into the venous vessel is a modern way of treating emergency conditions. According to the rate of infusion of drugs, two types are distinguished:
- Drip. With this method of administration, the necessary drug is dissolved and then, using a special system, is introduced into the vessel. Due to the fact that the drug is in a fairly diluted form, the harmful effect on the vascular wall is minimal.
- Inkjet. This species is divided into slow and bolus administration. The latter leads to a maximum concentration at the end of the infusion and then, after some time, it decreases in plasma. The rate of increase in concentration during slow administration is significantly lower.
The effect of the therapy is due to the fact that the drug immediately enters the bloodstream. However, with this method of administration, there is a risk of complications. Therefore, the high professionalism of the medical workers performing these manipulations, as well as the quality of the materials from which the medical devices are made, are very important. For all types of infusions, infusion systems for droppers are used. The medical market has an extensive assortment of these products.
Infusion systems
Used for infusion of solutions and drugs in liquid form. The composition of the infusion system:
- a special device that pierces the lid and has a built-in air valve;
- dropper with a filter;
- cameras
- flexible long tube with a clamp-regulator, with which the infusion is regulated.
A dropper system with a filter allows clots to be retained greater than 30 microns. The product is used once. The material used in their manufacture is transparent and allows you to see air bubbles, the level of the solution, the speed of dropping drops.
Types of transfusion systems
According to the size of the filter cells, the dropper system is divided into products for infusion:
- solutions;
- blood and blood substitutes.
A properly selected system taking into account the size of the cells is the key to successful therapy. For example, for the introduction of a solution of glucose or electrolytes, small cells will not allow harmful impurities to enter the bloodstream. And in the case of transfusion of blood products, such cells will quickly clog up with blood elements, and the infusion process will stop.
By the type of needle used, which connects to the bag or bottle, the following systems are distinguished:
- with a metal needle;
- with a polymer needle or a plastic spike.
The choice of infusion system for the dropper in this case will depend on the capacity of the drug. For glass containers they use a metal one, and for packages - a polymer needle.
System for blood transfusion (infusion)
This product can be used both with glass bottles and transfusion bags. It includes:
- plastic and metal needle;
- two protective caps;
- dropper with a filter;
- long connecting tube made of transparent material;
- air intake valve;
- connector;
- roller regulator.
In order to infuse the blood of a donor, plasma systems are used for blood transfusion. These products were invented by an obstetrician from Britain in 1818. Since then, they have been somewhat improved. The drip system is equipped with a filter with large cells, which allows you not to miss blood clots and at the same time ensure the flow of blood at a certain speed. The presence of filters is especially important when transfusion of condensed blood, which has a high viscosity.
Infusion system with a metal needle
Such a dropper is intended for infusion of infusion solutions and blood substitutes from a bottle. The medical device consists of:
- needles
- drip system with a filter;
- flexible hose;
- latex tube for cam infusion regulator;
- air duct needles;
- clamp for adjusting the rate of insertion;
- devices for piercing the cap with a metal needle.
The hose and dropper are made of transparent material.
Infusion system with a plastic spike
The product is used for infusion of infusion solutions from containers or bags.
Unlike the previous system, it consists of a device with a spike made of plastic for puncturing the cap, combined with a semi-rigid dropper and filter. The remaining components - as in the system with a metal needle.
Conclusion
A dropper system is used to administer various drugs. With its help, the introduced substances are absorbed faster and better. There are many medical indications in which there is a need for them. However, it must be borne in mind that infusion therapy is contraindicated in heart failure, a tendency to thrombosis and swelling.
The use of droppers is not known for medical purposes. From well-developed systems you can build wonderful toys, gifts, souvenirs with your own hands. Above, the photo shows crafts from systems. At the same time, droppers are painted in different colors and pretty funny and unusual decorations for the holiday are obtained.