In vitro model of rapid intravenous fluid administration

Intravenous (IV) fluid delivery requires physical intrusion into the vein of a living subject which results in a complex interaction between the rigid artificial catheter and the compliant vein. To study this interaction and to determine the contribution of vein resistance to the overall flow rate of fluid delivery, a laboratory apparatus was built to simulate fluid delivery into an in vitro model of the brachial or cephalic vein. Experiments were conducted with different physical and physiological parameters in order to determine their role in rapid fluid administration. The results showed that central vein resistance or increased tissue pressure reduce infusion flow rate