Perfect IV Medication Administration Every Time: How It's Done, And Benefits To Doing It This Way

When you need your medication via IV, the last thing you want is to get too little or too much medication at any one time. Since technology is moving forward in so many fields, getting exactly the right amount of IV medication every time has become a refined art. In fact, medical equipment like the Baxter Smart IV pump makes it really easy to administer and self-administer the correct dose every time. Here is how it is done, and the benefits to having a "smart" IV pump for your medication.

​The Set-up

​Initially, your doctor will insert an "in-line" into your body through which your medication will be administered. It is up to you to keep this area clean and free of infection. The line itself will then connect to the smart pump, which is programmed specifically for your medication needs. At exactly the right time each day, every other day, or weekly, you connect the in-line from your body to the pump. press the pump's "on" button, and the pump takes exactly what you need from the IV medication bag or bottle, and sends it into your body. When the medication administration is complete, the pump sounds a simple alert, which tells you that it is time to disconnect. 

​The Benefits of Administering IV Medication This Way

Besides the fact that the dosage can never be the wrong amount, and patients can never overdose themselves, there are several more benefits to smart pump medication administration. For example, patients can be taught to administer their own medication, and they do not have to come into a clinic or hospital every single time that they need their medication. Additionally, the IV lines that go directly into the body take the medication to the organs and vessels or diseased areas that need the medication for treatment. It takes less time to treat health problems this way. 

There is also a benefit to nursing staff. Nurses cannot forget to give medication, nor can they give the wrong dose. This reduces major med errors, and it protects nurses from being fired for these kinds of medical mistakes. Since doctors are the only ones who change dosages, only doctors can assume responsibility for medical emergencies arriving from very rare medication issues. 

​How to Get the Smart IV Pump

Talk to your doctor. See if he/she thinks it would be okay for you to get the smart pump. Check with your insurance company, too, as some insurance companies will not pay for the pump.


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