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Hi - I'm new to Oley/Inspire and am looking for opinions on feeding pumps. Planning to get a pump for g-tube feedings for my son, but want one that you can clean the bags and tubing without using the pump. i.e., disconnect and clean via gravity
Any information/opinions would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Hello Duran, & Family,
I'm a firm believer and love the Zevex Enteralite pump. Zevex is now called Moog and they are getting rid of the Enteralite pump slowly but surely. Here is the link to the Enteralite pump:
www.moog.com/products/medical-pump-systems/enteral-feeding-pumps/enteralite /
For Nina (my daughter) the Enteralite pump is the only pump I've been able to find that works with her feeds. Nina is on a Blenderized Diet using raw whole food with fruits and vegetables. Nina has been formula free since she was about 3 year's young and she's now 10.5 year's young.
If you would like to learn more about Blenderized Diet E-mail me privately at: NinaBean@tampabay.rr.com
Blessings,
Lesley - a/k/a NinaBean
My husband has had the Enteralite pump for about 1 year now & I agree with NinaBean, we fought a few years as we felt we would be stuck at home all the time but that is not true. The downside of it is the GJ tubes do not last as long as a Peg does and it has to be replaced in radiology making it more difficult to get it replaced when the tube splits open or falls out.
I also recommend the enteralite infinity pump. You can clean the bags via gravity, though you need to use a clip of some sort to hold the line open, a binder clip works but I have some clips that are meant to be used on plastic hangars to hold pants onto the hangars (they look like clothes pins, but clip onto hangars, Walmart, a few dollars for a bag of 8 or so) that work best. I just fill the bag with water and hang on a kitchen cabinet, clip it and the water runs out into the sink.
The one thing I noticed is noone is advocating the Kangaroo pump... Uhhm... Neither am I.
The Kangaroo was horrible that it had to stay upright plus or minus 5 degrees or it wouldnt work. We used to put our son in a pack and play for his hour feed 4 times a day. Then he would fall asleep between feeds and wind up in there for 4 hours.
The zevex has a nice backpack (depending on age and mobility) which works great for our Son. The only thing that has really screwed up the pump (had to turn it off and back on) is when he went down a cork screw slide while it was running. He even wears it at school and the Kindergarden teacher turns the pump on and off. It's funny watching them wear gloves when they handle the equipment.
The pump is not as hearty as it could be and we have had several replaced over the years because of broken parts. Alot of times it is a broken cover which we hold shut with rubber bands and it runs fine. Twice we have put the backpack on and started it without connecting the extension tube to the feeding bag. Both times the fluid in the bottom of the bag ruined the pump. While you can rinse it off under a faucet, it is certainly not water proof. All of this may play into it if you have the choice of buying it outright or leasing it.
Hope all of this helps... and maybe someday we will find someone to stick up for the kangaroo pump. (There has to be someone! :~) )
I'm with Nina. I think the Zevex Entralite Infinity is the best of all pumps. It's small and easy and rarely beeps!
Mimi
They are getting rid of the EnteraLite Infinity pump?! That is the best feeding pump I have used so far. It is 100 times better than the Ross Patrol pump they had me using during my recovery from surgety in the nursing home. I too like that its easy to program and doesn't beep unless there's a problem (its very quiet).
Jessie
There's the regular Enteralite pump, then the newer version is the enteralite infinity. If they're getting rid of one I'm sure it's the older enteralite and not the infinity.
Well, well, the good old kangaroo pump....I'll have to say that's what Laura started on and it drove me insane with it's beeping. When I asked for something else they switched us to the Kangaroo Joey which is designed to be portable. It works great for us. We don't blend though we just use Pedisure/Suplenna liquid feeds. The Kangaroo Joey never beeps and can be turned any direction, is durable, small, and I'm a fan.
the joey was OK for my baby son too, but prefer the infinity because it has more programmable options and is so tiny and the super mini pack is cuuuute! we switched to syringe feeding though as it reduces my son's vomiting and nausea, and is quite portable to boot. good luck!
While we're all raving about the Infinity, which I love, we haven't answered the original question which is what pump she can use that has bags that will allow her to both pump and gravity feed. The infinity will not allow for that since the bags will only let fluid through when they're in the pump.
I did answer it in my first post, that with a cheap clip from Walmart or similar type store (a binder clip works also but not as well) you can place it on the teardrop on the tubing (those who use the pump will know what I'm referring to) and it will free flow via gravity.
Even the newer kangaroo pumps have bags that will not free flow anymore, and from my one cursory look at them I could not find a way to make it do so (I use feeding bags for draining my daughter's G, so need to know which ones have a way to make them free flow).
My son uses the old Kangaroo Pet and for us it is the only answer, too bad they have gone out of production. The bags free flow beautifully, so if you could get a box of Kangaroo Pet bags you could use them for your daughter's drainage bag. I once got a box of 30 Kangaroo Pet bags on Ebay quite reasonably. We use urinary bags to drain my son's G.
The reason we need the Kangaroo Pet is it is the only pump I know of where you can refill the bag without disconnecting from the feeding tube or getting air in his system, which he can't tolerate. Guess everybody's got different needs!!
Mary
Actually I do use the pet bags for drainage, however, before I was able to get these paid for I figured out how to make her infinity bags work as well, I would use a bag that I was about to toss, rinse it out and use it to drain.
BTW, you can refill an Infinity bag while the pump is running, if air gets in the line it will beep, so no air will get in his system. If you do this you just have to be more careful about keeping the pump upright, which I'm sure you've gotten used to with the Pet anyhow. Even when I do this I can still lay the pump on the floor near the sofa, and the bag on top of it, just making sure the bottom of the bag is lower than the top (laid down over the pump works best for this!)
I have definitely cleaned bags with just hot water and soap, then shoot air through the tubing, rinse, repeat.
We have a Zevex Inifinity and it is well worth the $. Easy to handle, my son can hang up side down, go down slides, all with no problem.
One word though, the company was bought by Moog, and now the customer service is terrible.
Duran to answer your question, the only good answer is a Kangaroo 224, 324, or PET. Unfortunately none of those are produced anymore and Kangaroo no longer works on them. So, even if you did find out to buy, if you need it fixed you will be stuck buying a new pump. Your best alternative is to take the advice above and get a Zevex. You will have better support from dealers and will not have to worry about what happens in case of failures. It has it's issues in regards to a true homecare pump, but it's the best out there. That has cause a slight downside in that they have put some many on the market, when the doors fail (and they will) the company is getting them back to repair and Moog is short on pumps at times. I am hoping they will come out with a new version soon with a new design. Use the advice above on how to care for the bags.
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