(pŭmp )

1. An apparatus that transfers fluids or gases by pressure or suction.
2. To force air or fluid along a certain pathway, as the heart does to blood.

air p.A pump for forcing air in or out of a chamber.

blood p.1A device for pumping blood. It is attached to an extracorporeal circulation system.2A compression sleeve placed about a plastic transfusion bag.

breast p.A pump for expressing milk from the human breast.

centrifugal pA pump that uses impellers (wing-shaped fins) attached to a rotating shaft to convey kinetic energy to fluid, create a vortex, and move the fluid in a desired direction. Circulating blood cells are less likely to be destroyed (“hemolysed”) by centrifugal pumps than by peristaltic pumps.

efflux p.A cell membrane protein channel that selectively admits or excludes chemicals from the cytoplasm. In some bacteria efflux pumps prevent their cells from accumulating antibiotics, contributing to drug resistance.

electronic implantable infusion p.

ABBR: EIIP

infusion p.A pump to administer fluids into an artery, vein, or enteral tube, beneficial in overcoming arterial resistance, controlling the rate of the fluid and drug administration, or administering thick solutions. The pump can be programmed to set the rate of administration depending on the patient's needs.

SEE: electronic infusion device .

SEE: Infusion Pump

See video

insulin p.A small battery-driven pump that delivers insulin subcutaneously into the abdominal wall. The pump can be programmed to deliver varying doses of insulin as a patient's need for insulin changes during the day (such as before exercise or meals, when physical or psychological levels of stress change).

SEE: illus..

intra-aortic balloon p.Intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation.

intravenous p.

ABBR: IV pump

intravenous infusion p.Infusion pump.

lymphedema p.A pneumatic compression device for application to an edematous limb. It works best when combined with elevation of the limb and manual massage. The device, which may be single-chambered or multichambered, is designed to provide calibrated, sequential pressure to the extremity. This action “milks” edema fluid from the extremity. It is essential that the device be used in the early phase of the development of lymphedema. If the affected lymph vessels develop fibrotic changes, i.e., scar tissue, then pneumatic compression devices are of questionable benefit.

peristaltic pump A pump used to move fluid through tubing by sequentially compressing the tubing with rotating rollers and squeezing the fluid within it in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. Peristaltic pumps are used in several health care applications, e.g., in perfusion devices used in transplant or cardiac bypass surgeries, or in hemodialysis. SYN: roller pump.

proton p.An enzyme located in the parietal cell of the stomach that excretes hydrogen ions in exchange for potassium ions. The formal name of the proton pump is hydrogen/potassium adenosine triphosphate (H⁺/K⁺ATPase).

Gastric acids produced by the proton pump aid chemical digestion of foods. Some diseases and conditions are worsened by acid in the stomach (such as peptic ulcers, acid reflux disease). Drugs that inhibit the proton pump (proton pump inhibitors such as omeprazole) are used to treat these illnesses.

respiratory p.Any of those abdominal and thoracic structures that contribute to the expansion and contraction of the lungs. Movement of the chest and abdomen alters central pressures during inspiration and expiration. During inspiration, decreases in intrathoracic pressure draw air into the trachea, bronchi, and lungs and draw blood into the vena cava and right atrium of the heart. During expiration, intrathoracic pressures rise, and air is forced out of the lungs.

roller pump SYN: peristaltic pump.

smart p.A programmable pump used to control and administer intravenous drugs and limit medication administration errors. Its software may include some or all of the following features: infusion rate programming; dosing limit lockout features; configurations for specific hospital areas (pediatric dosing versus adult or intensive care unit dosing); surgical or anesthetic drug libraries; controls for patient-controlled analgesia; and alert features (alarms or messages that notify users of possible medication errors).

sodium p.The active transport mechanism that moves sodium ions across a membrane to their area of greater concentration. In neurons and muscle cells, this is outside the cell. In many cells, the sodium pump is linked with the potassium pump that transports potassium ions into the cell, also against a concentration gradient, and may be called the sodium-potassium pump. In neurons and muscle fibers, this pump maintains the polarization of the membrane.

SEE: Sodium-Potassium Pump

See video

sodium-potassium p.

SEE: sodium pump .

stomach p.Gastric lavage.

thoracic p.The negative pressure in the chest during inspiration that pulls venous blood into the vena cava and right side of the heart so that it can circulate to the lungs.

venous plexus foot p.A device that alternates between applying pressure and no pressure on the sole of the foot. The change in pressure allows venous blood vessels to alternately fill and then empty, thus imitating the effects of walking on the veins of the lower extremities. The pump is used to prevent deep vein thromboses (DVTs) in patients at high risk because of a previous history of DVTs, hypercoagulable states, or prolonged bedrest.