Infusion warming packs: small items with big effects

Author: Huang Yanhong Duan Yuechu

In the field of medical care, infusion is a common treatment method. However, have you noticed that sometimes infusion makes patients feel cold and uncomfortable? At this time, the infusion warmer comes in handy, which plays an important role in ensuring the comfort and safety of patients during the infusion process.

1. Working Principle

The core principle of the infusion warmer is heat transfer. It usually contains a substance that can generate heat, usually through chemical reactions. For example, some substances in the warmer will undergo redox reactions when exposed to air or mixed with specific substances. The breaking and formation of chemical bonds in this process will release heat. This heat is transferred to the infusion tube by conduction through the outer material of the warmer, thereby warming the liquid in the tube.

From the perspective of energy conversion, chemical energy is converted into thermal energy. This heat generation is relatively stable and gentle, which can avoid adverse effects on the composition and properties of the liquid medicine. Moreover, a high-quality warmer can accurately control the temperature to keep it close to the human body temperature, generally between 30℃-40℃, which can effectively relieve the patient's feeling of coldness caused by the infusion of low-temperature liquids, and will not damage the patient's blood vessels or affect the efficacy of the liquid medicine due to excessive temperature.

2. Material Secrets

The shell material of the infusion warmer is very important. Generally, heat-insulating, environmentally friendly and non-toxic materials are used, such as special non-woven fabrics or polyurethane foam. These materials have good heat insulation properties, which can reduce the loss of heat to the surrounding environment, concentrate the heat on the infusion tube, and improve the heat utilization efficiency.

The heating materials inside are carefully selected and proportioned. For example, some heaters use a heating formula mixed with iron powder, activated carbon, salt and water. In this system, when the heater is activated, iron powder, as the main reducing agent, first undergoes an oxidation reaction with oxygen in the air. The chemical reaction equation is: 4Fe 3O₂ = 2Fe₂O₃. This reaction is an exothermic reaction that releases a large amount of heat and is the main source of energy for the heater to generate heat.

Activated carbon plays the role of a catalyst. Due to its porous structure, it greatly increases the contact area between the reactants, allowing oxygen to contact and react with the iron powder more quickly, thereby speeding up the rate of the entire oxidation reaction and ensuring that the heat generation can proceed quickly and continuously.

The presence of salt (usually sodium chloride) enhances the conductivity of the system. In the presence of water, the salt will ionize to form sodium ions and chloride ions. The directional movement of these ions helps promote the electron transfer process of the redox reaction, making the reaction more efficient and stable, and ensuring the stability and continuity of the heating process.

As a reaction medium, water not only provides conditions for the ionization of salt, but also ensures that various components such as iron powder, activated carbon and salt can fully contact and mix, creating a good environment for the smooth development of chemical reactions and ensuring that the entire heating system works synergistically to stably generate heat and transfer it to the infusion tube.

3. Operation methods and precautions

Using an infusion warmer is easy, but there are some precautions to keep in mind. When preparing for an infusion, medical staff should first take out the warmer and gently rub it to fully mix the contents inside to start the heating reaction. When rubbing, be sure to use moderate force to avoid excessive force that may damage the packaging and cause the internal heating material to leak.

Then, wrap the infusion tube around the warmer in the prescribed manner, ensuring that the infusion tube is in full contact with the warmer so that heat can be effectively transferred to the liquid medicine. Generally speaking, the number of turns and the method of winding will vary depending on the design of the warmer and the specifications of the infusion tube. Medical staff must strictly follow the detailed diagrams and instructions on the product manual to ensure the stability and reliability of the heating effect.

During the infusion process, medical staff also need to regularly observe the heating of the heater and the temperature of the liquid in the infusion tube. It is recommended to check every 15-20 minutes. Pay special attention to whether the heater has abnormal phenomena such as overheating, smoking or odor. Once found, stop using it immediately and take appropriate measures, such as replacing the heater, checking the infusion tube and the liquid medicine, to ensure the safety of the patient's infusion. At the same time, pay attention to whether the temperature of the liquid in the infusion tube is within the appropriate range. If the temperature is too high, it may affect the stability of the liquid medicine or cause burns to the patient; if the temperature is too low, the expected heating effect cannot be achieved, affecting the patient's comfort.

In addition, the heater should avoid contact with flammable and explosive items to prevent safety accidents caused by heating. After use, the heater should be properly handled in accordance with the medical waste treatment regulations, as the internal heating material may still be active, and placed in a special recycling container to prevent leakage of heating materials, causing environmental pollution or potential harm to other people.

Although the infusion warmer is a small medical accessory, it reflects the modern medical care's attention to patient experience and treatment details. From its exquisite working principle, high-quality material selection to simple and easy operation methods and strict precautions, every link embodies the power of science and technology and humanistic care, providing patients with more comfortable and safe protection during infusion treatment, and also adding a boost to the high-quality development of medical care.