Canadian Journal of Anesthesia, Vol 32, 283-286, Copyright © 1985 by Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society

Technical Report: Use of a Urologic Set for Improved Fluid Administration Rates

¹ Department of Anaesthesia, The University of Ottawa and The Ottawa General Hospital, Ottawa, Ontario

Address correspondence to: Dr. Serge Nadeau, Department of Anaesthesia, The Ottawa General Hospital, 501 Smyth Road, Ottawa, Ontario K1H 8L6.

This study was designed to compare flow rates of three sets of tubings: a large bore (8 mm) Y-urologic set (Y-URO); a Y-URO with an added in-line blood filter (Y-URO + BF); and a currently used (3.5 mm diameter) blood transfusion set (Y-TRANSFUSION). The time required to empty a one litre bag of Ringer's Lactate from a 1.0 meter vertical drop was measured while using four different IV catheters (9.5, 10, 14 and 16 gauge), and the flow rates calculated.

When a 9.5-gauge catheter was used, the flow rates obtained by the Y-URO and the Y-URO + BF were respectively 269 and 162 per cent higher than those achieved by the Y-TRANSFUSION. This wide margin was decreased to 41 and 39 per cent with a 16-gauge catheter. A 9.5-gauge catheter, when compared to a 16-gauge, allowed a 346 per cent improvement in flow rates with the Y-URO, a 225 per cent with the Y-URO + BF and only a 71 per cent increase with the Y-TRANSFUSION. The urologic set allows better fluid flow because of the larger diameter of its tubing. This adaptation of a large bore urologic irrigation set can be very useful when rapid fluid administration is imperative.

Key Words: EQUIPMENT: fluid infusion sets, blood infusion sets