ECRI Institute’s Infusion Pump Criteria

Over the years, ECRI Institute has evaluated many types and models of infusion pumps. The criteria we use for our testing can provide a useful guide for facilities making a pump purchase, particularly if some of the pumps they're considering are models we haven't evaluated.

In this article, we provide our criteria for general-purpose pumps, syringe pumps, patient-controlled analgesic (PCA) pumps, and ambulatory pumps. Because many of our criteria are the same for different pump varieties, we have combined our criteria into a single list covering all infusion devices, noting any elements that differ for different types of pumps. This list also includes some notes on test methodology where appropriate.

Facilities using this list to judge pumps they're considering should pay particular attention to the software factors; in our experience, these are increasingly the key differences between pumps—rather than hardware performance and features.

Flow rates. Pumps should be able to be set at the following values:

General-purpose pumps: 0.1 to ≥999 mL/hr

PCA pumps: 1 to ≥20...