Syringe drivers in palliative care

John Costello, Brian Nyatanga, Carole Mula and Jenny Hull have written about the benefits and drawbacks of syringe drivers in palliative care.

“This article will outline the use of continuous subcutaneous infusion pumps, known as syringe drivers, including their benefits and drawbacks in a palliative care context. There have been over 5000 articles published globally describing syringe drivers in the medical and nursing literature in the last decade. Many provide guidance on their use, although much of the data are repetitious, disease or age-group specific, and focussed on pragmatic issues to do with clinical application. Several trusts and hospices across the UK are carrying out trials of the recently launched McKinley T34 syringe driver. Therefore, it seems timely to consider their wider use internationally. Globally, practitioners in palliative care are very familiar with their use, although the literature lacks specific guidance and, at times, the information is ambiguous. Having briefly reviewed their benefits, the article considers the limitations  of using syringe drivers and comments on some of the lesser known/reported practical and patient-focussed drawbacks associated with their use. We conclude by considering why, when so much education and training exists to help practitioners use these devices effectively, so many human errors occur” (Costello et al 2008).

Reference

Costello J. et al (2008) The benefits and drawbacks of syringe drivers in palliative care. International Journal of Palliative Nursing. 14(3), p.139-144.