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CADD® Solis Pump for Nerve Block Infusions

Health care providers use a CADD Solis pump to give medicine into your child’s vein (an infusion.) The medicine helps reduce pain after surgery.

How a CADD Solis pump works

The health care provider inserts a small tube (catheter) under your child’s skin, near the area whey they had surgery. The provider attaches the CADD Solis pump to the catheter. The pump slowly gives pain medicine. The pump comes in a bag, so your child can move around.

CADD Solis Pump

This is the CADD Solis Pump that will be used on your child.

How to check if the pump is working

The pump is working and infusing medicine when:

  • The green light is flashing on the left side of the screen
  • The bar at the top of the screen is green and reads RUNNING

The infusion is not running if:

  • An amber (orange) light is flashing to the left of the screen
  • The bar at the top of the screen is red and displays STOPPED

How to stop and start the pump

To start or stop the pump:

  • Press the stop/start key.
  • When you see the message “Stop pump?” press Yes or No.
CADD Solis Pump

The stop/start key is shown in the picture above.

How to check the pump for a blockage

An alarm will go off if the tubing becomes kinked or clamped. A blocked line will cause the message “downstream occlusion” to appear on the screen. There could be a blockage in the line between the pump and your child.

You will need to clear the blockage so the pump will continue to deliver medicine. If you remove the kink or unclamp the tubing, the alarm will stop, and the pump will run again. You must find the problem and correct it or the alarm will continue.

To stop the alarm, you can turn off the pump and remove the batteries. If you cannot find the problem, call the pain management doctor right away for further directions.

Safety Reminders

If your child is having too much pain or cannot move an arm or leg, contact your doctor or a member of your care team.

If your child is an inpatient, a doctor or nurse will make any needed changes to the pump.

Keep the dressing covering the catheter clean and dry. Call your doctor within a few hours if the dressing gets wet or loose. Your child may take a bath as long as the pump and the dressing stay dry.

Changing the batteries

If a message on the screen says, “Battery low, replace battery,” you need to replace the batteries.

To change the batteries, follow these steps:

  1. Press the stop/start key.
  2. Stop Pump?” displays. Press “Yes.”
  3. Turn the knob on the battery door counter-clockwise and open the battery door.
  4. Remove the 4 used batteries.
  5. Insert 4 new AA batteries following the diagram inside the battery compartment.
  6. Close the battery door, turn the knob on the battery door clockwise to lock.
  7. Press the power switch to turn on the pump.
  8. The screen displays “Do you want to start a new patient?” Press “No.”
  9. Press stop/start key to start the pump.
  10. Start Pump?” displays. Press “Yes.”
  11. If you do not change the batteries while they are low, the alarm will sound, and the orange light will no longer flash. Change the batteries as described above.

How to spot medication side effects

Side effects are rare, but they can be the signs of a serious problem. Close the clamp on the pump tube right away and call your child’s anesthesia doctor if your child has any of the following symptoms:

  • Ringing, buzzing in the ears
  • Metal taste in the mouth
  • Numbness or tingling around the mouth
  • Redness, swelling, pain, or discharge (fluid) where the catheter is placed
  • Feeling dizzy or faint
  • Blurred vision
  • Confusion

Call 911 right away if your child is having problems breathing or if there is a medical emergency. Tell medical personnel that your child has a nerve block infusion.

Catheter removal

The catheter can stay in place up to a week after surgery, but your health care providers may remove it sooner if needed. When you have given all of the medicine, your health care providers may give your child a new bag in the clinic, or the catheter may need to be removed. An anesthesiologist or pain nurse will remove the catheter at the clinic.

Questions?

To learn more about using the CADD Solis pump for nerve block infusions, talk to your child’s doctor, pharmacist, or nurse. The main hospital number is 901-595-3300. If you are outside the Memphis area, dial toll-free 1-866-278-5833.

Key points

  • The CADD Solis pump delivers medicine into your child’s vein.
  • Parents should be familiar with the pump and its operation.
  • Check that the pump is working and that there are no blocks in the line.
  • Watch your child carefully for any medication side effects.


Reviewed: September 2022