Computerized Delivery Methods in Clinical Practice

Advances in pharmacokinetic modeling and infusion pump technology have made it possible to administer opioids (and other drugs) via a computer-controlled infusion pump (CCIP).^[331] The physician operating a CCIP designates a target concentration to achieve rather than specifying an infusion rate. The CCIP then calculates the necessary infusion rates to achieve the targeted concentration.

Delivery of an opioid via CCIP requires a different approach by clinicians. Rather than setting an infusion rate based on clinical experience and literature recommendations, the anesthesiologist using a CCIP designates a target concentration, and the CCIP calculates the infusion rates necessary to achieve the concentration over time. Successful use of a CCIP thus requires knowledge of the therapeutic concentrations appropriate for the clinical setting.