Approach to the management of infusion systems in hospitals

Drugs administration is the distinguishing feature of the infusion systems. They represent fundamental instruments in controlling clinical risk and in the improvement of the heath care assistance. Using infusion systems allows the continuous drugs administration, resulting in the reduction of concentration fluctuation, and, keeping the appropriate speed infusion, is the way to guarantee the desired therapeutic effect. The study presented in this paper allowed us to analyze and describe some critical points in the management of infusion systems, volumetric and syringe pumps, inside a subarea of Azienda Unica Regionale Sanitaria delle Marche (ASUR Marche). Some management solutions have been suggested such as supplementary services, in order to keep the functional continuity of the medical units, ready-to-use extra devices and their traceability. These services would allow to have extra devices in case of breakdown or in emergency situations; extra devices would belong to the so called infusion library and their handling can be both free or with a penalty. In order to decide the proper quantity of infusion systems, from the one hand, and from the other assuring the full service of the available devices, a mathematical reasoning has been done using real data from medical units. In our view this would guarantee to the hospital to save money and to get the most from the devices. In the end we suggest for the introduction of the closedcircuits for increasing the safety of the operator during the infusion of cancer therapy.