Intrathecal pump

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Intrathecal pump is a medical device used to delivery very small quantities of medications to the spinal fluid. Medications such as morphine or baclofen may be delivered in this manner to minimize side effects associated with oral medications, since the amount of medication needed to achieve therapeutic efficacy is much less than that required by the oral route.

1 Device
2 Procedure
3 Indication
4 Manufacturers
5 Links
6 References

[edit] Device

Intrathecal pump consists of a metal pump, which stores and delives the medication, and catheter, which delivers the medication from the pump to the intrathecal space where the medication takes effect. Two types of pumps are available: constant rate pump delivers the medication at a constant rate, and programmable pump delivers the medication according to a rate determined by a computer program which is changeable.

[edit] Procedure

Intrathecal pump is an implantable medical device and requires a surgical procedure. A surgeon usually performs a trial intrathecal injection or a temporary intrathecal pump to determine if the patient's symptoms improve. A permanent intrathecal pump is implanted if the patient derives at least 50% improvement in his or her symptoms. Complications include infection and bleeding during the surgery, spinal cord injury during the surgery, catheter fracture or migration, and in extremely rare cases, death during the surgery or from withdrawals or overdose from medication.