Northern Arizona Pain

Patient Page

• Pump operating instructions provided by your surgeon have been reprinted here for your convenience.

Either before or after your operation you were given instructions regarding the operation of your device.  This page has been developed to better assist you in any questions or concerns you may have.

 

• Your pump is already programmed to your doctor’s specifications to deliver a certain amount of medication to your incision site.  The medication being infused is called marcaine.  Marcaine is a local anesthetic and is non-narcotic.  Think of it like Novocain when you visit the dentist.  Marcaine is numbing your joint or incision site, eliminating 60%-80% of the pain you would normally experience after an operation.

 

• There is a digital display screen on the front of your pump.  This screen will always have a number displayed.  This number is a history of the amount of medication that has already been infused.  This number will continue to climb up to 300.  That is the max amount since the size of the medication bag is 300ml (unless you have been told otherwise, some bags are 450ml).

 

• Below the digital display there are 2 buttons.  The top button is square and is a play/pause button (like a VCR).  If you hear a loud beeping sound coming from the pump and a pause symbol (||) is flashing in the display you have accidentally pressed this square button.  Go ahead and push this button again and numbers will re-appear in the screen.  The pump has now resumed playing and has picked up where it left off.

 

• If at any time you hear a loud alarm coming from the pump and letters appear in the screen in place of numbers (i.e. OCL), promptly unzip the blue bag and turn the pump over to reveal a sticker on the back.  This sticker lists 3 things:

Northern Arizona Pain

Joshua Moroney

Phone (928) 230-5269

josh@nothernarizonapain.com

            Call the number listed 24 hours a day.  Do not hesitate to call no matter the time.                          

            If there is an issue with your pump we want to know about it so that we may better assist you.

• Depending on the type of operation you are having and who the surgeon is, there is an added option called a bolus.  A bolus is a patient controlled feature which allows you to receive an extra amount of medication periodically with the push of a button.  This is the large round button on the front of the device that is blinking green and is just below the play/pause button.  This feature (if activated) has a lockout time.  This lockout period varies from 20min to an hour and should have been explained to you while you were in the hospital.  If your pump is set at a 30 min lockout it means if you push the button to activate the bolus at 2:00 pm you won’t be able to receive another bolus until 2:30pm.  This feature is for your safety so that the amount of medication being infused is always being closely controlled. 

 

• Always be aware of where your pump is at all times.  There is a generous amount of tubing to allow you to set the device on a table near you for your convenience.  This extra line can easily get caught on furniture or a household pet.  If the tubing/catheter is caught on something it can dislodge from your incision site and you would lose the advantage of having this device to relieve your pain.  Please be careful and take good care of this device.

Most importantly, we are here to help you recover safely and quickly.  Nothing is more important to us than making sure you are as comfortable as possible during this recovery period.  Remember, we are always available to take your call.  Weather it be just a simple question or an issue with your pain pump. 

 

Sincerely 

Joshua J Moroney

President and Founder

Northern Arizona Pain

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Background picture, Lake Havasu Copper Canyon

This site was last updated 04/05/07