McKinley T34 syringe pump - Papworth Hospital

A patient’s guideMcKinley T34syringe pumpA patient’s guide1

A patient’s guideWhat is a syringe pump?A syringe pump is a small,portable, battery-operatedpump. It enables medicinesto be given under the skincontinuously.Why do I need one?It may be that you are havingtrouble swallowing medicinesor that you have beenvomiting and finding it hard tokeep medicines down.Giving medicines under theskin means that they areabsorbed into your systemand are able to work to helpreleive your symptoms. Itavoids the need for frequentinjections.How does it work?The nurse will insert asmall needle or plastic tubeunder your skin. This will beconnected by a thin tube toa syringe containing yourmedicine. The syringe isinserted into the syringe pump.The syringe pump graduallypushes the syringe plunger todeliver the medicines over 24hours. A nurse will change thesyringe every 24 hours.The needle/plastic tube willbe taped in place and usuallyonly needs changing every fewdays.How do I know if the syringepump is working properly?The nurse or doctor providingyour syringe pump will havechecked that it is workingbefore setting it up.A small green light will flashevery 30 seconds or so to showthe pump is working.Will there be any side effects?Your medicines have beenselected to treat the symptomsyou have. Often the medicinesare an ‘injection’ preparationof medicines you previouslyhad as tablets. The dose ofyour medicine will be adjustedto minimise the side effects.Will it make me sleepy?Drowsiness can be a sideeffect of some pain relievingmedicines and some antisicknessmedicines. Beingunwell often makes peoplemore sleepy than usual. If youhave concerns about feelingsleepy please discuss them withmedical and nursing staff.1

A patient’s guideWho will look after it?Your nurse will check regularlythat the syringe pump isworking correctly, that youare receiving the prescribedmedicines and that the needle/tube is comfortable.What do I do if the pumpbeeps or an alarm sounds?If the syringe pump beepsor an alarm sounds the mostimportant thing is not toworry. You do not need to doanything apart from informingyour nurse straight away.Some dos• If you are walking around,ask the nursing staff for asmall bag/pouch to carry thesyringe pump in.• When you are in bed orresting in a chair, the syringepump can be put on a flatsurface next to you, but donot place the syringe pumpat a higher level than theneedle/tube site.Some don’ts• Do not interfere with theline or pump.• Do not press the buttons onthe pump control panel.• Do not get the syringe pumpor needle/tube site wet.• Do not drop the syringepump.• Do not expose the syringepump to heat or brightsunlight.Contact your nurse if:• You are worried that yoursyringe pump is not workingproperly or has beendamaged.• The colour of the medicineshas changed or becomecloudy.• The skin around the needle/tube is red, swollen orpainful.• The alarm sounds.• You have any other concerns.2

A patient’s guidePapworth Hospital NHS Foundation TrustPapworth Everard, Cambridge, CB23 3RETel: 01480 830541Fax: 01480 831315www.papworthhospital.nhs.ukA member of Cambridge University Health PartnersPapworth Hospital is a smokefree siteFollow us onKeep in touch with Papworth Hospital and receive aquarterly newsletter. Join our membership free of charge atwww.papworthmembership.comTel: 01480 364240Author ID: Supportive & Palliative Care TeamDepartment: Supportive & Palliative Care TeamPrinted: November 2014Review due: November 2017Version: 2Leaflet number: PI 83© Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation TrustLarge print copies andalternative languageversions of this leafletcan be made availableon request.