PERFORMANCE OF THE ATOM-235 SYRINGE INFUSION-PUMP UNDER HYPERBARIC CONDITIONS

Inotrope-dependent patients may become haemodynamically unstable durin g treatment in the hyperbaric chamber. One possible cause is altered p erformance of infusion devices. We tested six Atom 235 syringe infusio n pumps under hyperbaric conditions of 2.8 atmospheres absolute in a m ultiplace chamber using a gravimetric method. There was a small but si gnificant reduction in infused volume during a thirty-minute period in cluding compression time. We concluded that altered inotrope delivery may explain at least some of the haemodynamic instability sometimes se en, although a physiologic effect of hyperbaric treatment cannot be ex cluded.