Assessment of Intravenous Fluid Delivery Systems for a mIcrogravity environment

摘要

The importance of adapting commonplace emergency medical techniques for application in zero-gravity is readily apparent, given the increased human presence in space. Astronauts are susceptible to potential physical trauma including (but not limited to) dehydration, severe burns and electrocution that could necessitate immediate treatment including intravenous (IV) fluid delivery. Current NASA protocol suggests pressurization of an IV bag using a standard blood-pressure cuff, however this could prove dangerous given the uncertainty and irregularity in the resulting flow rate. The altered miscibility of air and liquid in microgravity may also result in trapped air, which presents the danger of venous air-embolism. This project sought to identify an effective method of IV fluid delivery that allows for accurate dosage while eliminating the danger of trapped gas in the infused fluid. Aboard NASA's KC-135 microgravity laboratory, two electronic IV pumps were tested against a manual device and were also compared to the currently proposed technique. The accuracy and qualitative ease-of-use was examined, as well as the effectiveness of each device at sensing and limiting air-inclusions. This paper presents the experimental setup, procedure and preliminary results, concluding with suggestions for change to the current protocol in order to improve the safety and reliability of IV fluid delivery.