St Barnabas Hospices (Sussex) Ltd MCKINLEY T34 SYRINGE DRIVERS Tips for Home Use PATIENT INFORMATION LEAFLET What is a syringe driver? A syringe driver is a portable, battery-powered machine that delivers drugs through a needle, placed just under the skin. It can be easily held in one hand and is pocket sized. The system is made up of three parts: 1. The machine itself. 2. A syringe, attached to the machine, which has your drugs in it. 3. Attached to the syringe is a long thin piece of tubing with a very small needle on the end. How will the syringe driver help me? Often it is used when you cannot take drugs by mouth, due to difficulty in swallowing or sickness. The pump gives you the medicines you need in a different way and means that you do not need a lot of injections. When symptoms such as nausea/vomiting and pain are under control, your tablets may be restarted. The syringe driver can then be discontinued. Giving your drugs via a syringe driver The nurse will place the needle just under the skin, either on your chest, your tummy or on the top of your arm or leg. This will feel like having a small injection. The needle is held in place with a small, clear dressing, so that the site can be checked. Usually, the needle can stay in one place for several days. If it gets sore or uncomfortable, the nurse will insert a new one in another place. Managing my syringe driver at home The machine is designed to give you your drugs over 24 hours. Each day the District Nurse will come to check how you are, they will fill up a new syringe and check the machine. The District Nurse will also check that you have enough drugs for the syringe driver. It would be helpful if you could provide somewhere where the spare equipment and medications could be stored, e.g. a shoe box. You will also be given a small yellow ‘sharps’ box, so that used syringes can be disposed of safely. The District Nurse will advise you who will collect the sharps from your home. w.\group information\policies\clinical\patient & family information leaflets\stb patient information leaflets\mckinley t34 syringe drivers (tips for home use) Originator: Ward Sister Last Review: July 2012 Approval Date: February 2006 Next Review: July 2014 1 Will I need to alter my lifestyle? No, you won’t. You may perhaps find the following tips useful to ensure that the syringe driver causes you the least inconvenience. Bathing/Showering Try to keep the needle site dry, if possible. Keep the machine away from the water by putting it on a stool beside the bath/shower. If the syringe driver gets wet, it will no longer work. You may find that you need to have someone with you whilst bathing/showering. Clothes You may dress as normal. You don’t need any special clothing. The syringe driver fits into a holster, which can be worn over the shoulder or around the waist. The syringe driver may also fit into a dressing gown/jacket pocket. You should not let the syringe be exposed to direct sunlight. Eating You can eat and drink whatever you like. A small amount of alcohol will do you no harm. Going out You can go out and about with the syringe driver. medicines in the pump will affect your driving. If you drive, you should ask the nurse if the Other Equipment You should not put the pump near anything hot, like a heat pad, electric blanket or hot water bottle. Try to keep mobile phones that are switched on about an arm’s length away, as they may affect the way the pump works. What do I need to know about the syringe driver? The light above the ON/OFF button flashes every 64 seconds. If it turns red, there is a problem with the pump and you should contact your District Nurse as soon as possible. Your nurse will discuss with you what to do if the alarm sounds. If any of the following happen you must let the District Nurse know as soon as possible: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. The pump gets wet The pump is dropped The colour of the medicines in the tubing or syringe has changed The skin around the needle is red, swollen or sore Liquid leaks where the needle goes into the skin The needle falls out The tubing is not connected to the syringe The syringe is empty The alarms sounds Useful contact numbers District Nurse Out of Hours Service Hospice (St Barnabas House) 01903 706300 w.\group information\policies\clinical\patient & family information leaflets\stb patient information leaflets\mckinley t34 syringe drivers (tips for home use) Originator: Ward Sister Last Review: July 2012 Approval Date: February 2006 Next Review: July 2014 2