The Baclofen pump is a device used to deliver medications directly into the space between the spinal cord and the protective sheath surrounding the spinal cord. Medications such as baclofen, morphine, or ziconotide may be delivered in this manner to minimize the side effects often associated with the higher doses used in oral or intravenous delivery of these drugs. People with spastic diplegia or other forms of spasticity, or people in intolerable pain who cannot tolerate side effects of the higher-dose oral medications of the same medication type, are potential candidates for that medication being administered via the pump. The Baclofen pump consists of a metal pump which stores and delivers the medication, and a catheter which delivers the medication from the pump to the intrathecal space in the spine where the medication takes effect. Two types of pumps are available: a constant rate pump delivers the medication at a constant rate, and a programmable pump delivers the medication according to a rate determined by a computer program. The pump requires a surgical procedure; a surgeon usually performs a trial intrathecal injection or implants a temporary intrathecal pump to determine if the medication works to begin with, and if a pump is appropriate. A permanent Baclofen pump is then implanted if the patient derives at least 50% improvement in his or her symptoms.
Picture of the pump on the side
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Coping with Cerebral Palsy (My Story)
Non-FictionCerebral Palsy is a medical condition and a common birth defect. It is caused by damage to the brain and can occur during pregnancy, childbirth, or after birth up to about age three. CP is not an infectious disease and is not contagious. Most cases...
