New portable infusion pumps: real advantages or just more of the same in a different package?*1

Pump SelectionSix small, portable, infusion pumps marketed forlocal anesthetic infusion were selected for testingand donated by their respective manufacturers (Fig1). The energy source to dispense an infusate variedbetween 2 pump types and consisted of electrical(6060, AutoMed 3200, I-Pump, and ambIT Pump)or elastic (Accufuser Plus and C-Bloc) energy. Theelectronic pumps are programmable, which al-lowed for various infusion rates, bolus doses, andlockout periods (Table 1). The elastomeric pumpsare available in various reservoir volume and infu-sion rate combinations. However, once manufac-tured, these attributes cannot be altered. All pumpswere previously unused, set for a basal rate of 5mL/h, and tested with normal saline (NS) as theinfusate using a protocol and apparatus describedpreviously.