automatic infiltration detector

automatic infiltration detector

[ô′təmat′ik]

Etymology: Gk, automatismos, self-action

a temperature-sensitive device that activates an alarm and automatically stops an IV infusion when the IV fluid passes into tissue. The device detects any cooling of the skin at the IV site, a common sign of infiltration. The detector is usually secured to the skin with tape and attaches by a small cable to the fluid-monitoring circuit of an IV pump.