Alan's nurse is a very nice lady. She comes very month for the infusion. Today is the infusion. She has had difficulty using the pump so she has not been able to use it. She had gone to a medical conference and the Gemstar people were there and she asked them for an instruction manual and they wanted to know the number of the pump. Of course she didn't have it on her.

So she just came and she had this tubing gauge thing and she will be using this. Alan has had absolutely no problems with her infusions. Thank god for that.

I figured I would go online and print out some instructions for the Gemstar Infusion pump. On the pump it says HOSPIRA.

Now here's my problem. I went online to find instructions, and could not. Perhaps I am not asking the write questions in the search engine. I typed in "Instructions for using a Gemstar Pump?? and similar words.

All I get is sites telling me "there are no online instructions, just a cd rom available upon request"

I'm thinking (for the next infusion), I can call his infusion company and perhaps they have the instructions??

I know I should have done this.

Actually, of all the nurses he has used over the past year and a half, only one or two knew how to use the pump. It's a little portable pump.

Do any of you know where I can download the instructions for the Gemstar Hospira Infusion pump.
There's isn't even a phone number on the pump that I can call.
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UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE.

I answered my own question (at least I think I did).

I went to this site:


tried to download the instructions manual, learned you have to have a customer number and email address, tried to register and no one is there on Saturday.

I phoned them and left a detailed message.

So hopefully, before the next month's infusion, I shall get the instructions either by being a customer of their website and then I can access the info, or they will mail it to me. (hopefully).

Anybody else ever have this problem??
http://www.hospira.com/Products/Gems...ionSystem.aspx

Mel

The problems with infusion pumps occur if the nurse does not work for an infusion service, but rather a home care service, there are a variety of pumps and a gizzillion devices that are used often once per year, and they have a hard time keeping up with each new one that comes out.

The nurse will likely look up the procedure, and should by her second visit be familiar with it, or bring along a nurse who is, so she can watch, and you should be billed for only one nursing visit. Whenever I had to do a procedure I was uncomfortable with, I asked to follow a nurse who had performed the procedure to watch her, then a second time to have some one watch and verify that I performed the procedure correctly myself.

Melody - the pump should come pre-programed from the pharmacy supply company based on the rate your doctor has ordered - again - if the infusion rate is wrong you can get severe side effects... you should not be programing the pump- the nurse should have called her service and had them walk her through it - I had instances where my pump didnt work - and the nurses did just that, the pharmacist should know how to program it - yes - it needs code - and the step up rates programmed correctly....

As you know - you can watch the infusion rate increase on the pump - when they program it (and I would not let them touch Alan until it is programmed or they send out a new pump in exchange that is programmed correctly) - be sure to watch the step up rate and time for each.... if the infusion is not started at a slow rate, since IVIG every infusion carries a risk of shock etc. with the new product every time - you really need to be careful...!!!!!!! (also, there is always an issue of liability - the nurse is responsible for the pump and infusion rate - a patient doing it themselves - if anything ever did go wrong - would really release the agency from responsibility)

of PROCEDURE to: Your doctor, the infusion service, the pharmacy AND your insurance company! NOW! IN THAT ORDER!
IF IVIG is not administered properly, and it is sounding as if it's not...Alan could suffer the WORST of the infusion's side effects....Anaphlyaptic shock or cardiac 'events' [=arrest].
With every package of infusion materials SHOULD come an 'instruction sheet' w/the doctor's orders regarding dose and rates of infusions [that's why it was all carefully monitored in the hospital?]
I have to get off now, power thunder things are happening - j

I for sure would call the doc who ordered this infusion process. That is just not right. I know you said you like this nurse but is there a way you could get a nurse more profficient in this pump?Your husband always has something going on medically. Poor guy but it seems like you make things as comforting as possible

Believe me Alan is not a poor guy. She is not using the pump at all.

She is trying to get the instruction manual. We both realized that we should have called the infusion company.

She has never used this pump. She uses a gauge thing. Alan has a nice slow infusion. We sit there and talk for 4 hours, and sometimes he takes a nap from the Benadryl..She saw how many mililiters (or whatever), he was prescribed, and she calculated how much the rate should be for 30 minutes, and she did the drip (nice and slow), she always does this.

He's doing extremely well during these infusions. Don't worry about him. Worry about me. I'm the one getting headaches and wheeling wheelchairs and no body gives a darn about me. lol

I sit and listen as the nurse talks about diabetes, and ivig and I listen and learn. She checkes his pressure every 15 minutes. It's always perfect. She even checked mine.

I believe they should have included a manual with the pump. She said "there are so many different types of pumps".

She is used to the hospital pumps, (many of her patients use the bigger pumps). She's been a nurse for 45 years and she is extremely diligent. Alan is extremely comfortable around her and so am I.

So she's not touching the pump until she knows what she is doing.

She asked me "if they send you instructions can you please email it to me so I can begin to practice" I said no problem.

And if I can get a customer number and access the manual online, that's when she said "oh, that's terrific, if you can get me to that site, I can learn all about the pump, before I get here next time"

He gets a nice slow drip of 4 hours with this nurse. I wouldn't trade her for anyone else.

I agree you deserve huge credit. Your a wonderful wife to him. I can't imagine the stress this puts on you too. Hopefully soon you will both get a break. Hopefully since you like the nurse you can find out the proper use and she can learn.