Abstract
We undertook a postal survey of hospices and home-care services in the UK, to describe the use of portable syringe drivers in such units, their perceived clinical indications and disadvantages and the rules governing their use. Considerable agreement was found among hospice, combined and home-care units concerning the importance of portable syringe drivers in the treatment of patients with vomiting, intestinal obstruction and dysphagia. Home-care teams in particular perceived the benefits of an alternative route for analgesia. Combined units actually used more portable syringe drivers despite reporting more disadvantages to patients, staff and carers. Doctors most often made the decision to commence treatment with a portable syringe driver, often at the suggestion of a nurse. Doctors were also responsible in most instances, for the prescription of the rate of delivery, but nurses usually carried out the tasks of drawing up the infusion and inserting the needle. The presence of other rules did not seem to diminish the number of syringe drivers in use.
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