Background
This tool is designed to streamline the visualization of infusion setups especially for critical care environments where patients are on multiple infusions that are running concurrently together through the same venous ports. By allowing users to input up to three medications per setup along with their venous access points (such as CVC ports, PIVs, introducer sheaths, or catheter ports/lumens), it automatically generates a diagram showing a layout of the various infusions. The output simplifies “line tracing,” or the confirmatory act of verifying where infusions go, and organization of infusion lines, enhancing workflow efficiency and minimizing errors. For the sake of simplicity, port and lumen are synonymous within the context of DripMap.
This is Version 1.1, first published January 7, 2025.
If you are interested in reading more, this is my Substack article about this web app.
If you enjoyed (or even did not enjoy) using Drip Map, please provide feedback.
Also, if you are interested in exploring IV drug compatibilities, I have created an off-shoot of this web app called Enhanced Compat Mode. Enhanced Compat Mode allows a user to optimize and visualize IV medication infusion groupings with the primary objective being to group compatible medications into the smallest number of ports/lumens, with a preference for 3-drug groups, while respecting compatibility constraints. However note that Enhanced Compat Mode is experimental and in its beta phase. It has NOT been fully refined, rigorously tested, or wholly verified for clinical use. It is not a substitute for clinical judgment, official compatibility references, or your institution’s protocols.
An example of the diagram that gets output.
How to Use
This tool helps you create a hierarchical tree diagram to represent venous access sites, lumens, and medications. Here’s how to use it:
Start by entering the name of the first venous access site (e.g., CVC) in the “Venous Access Name” field. This section will already be available when you load the tool.
For each venous access site, add the lumens associated with it by entering a lumen name (e.g., CVC 1 or Proximal or Distal) and the medications running through that lumen, separated by commas (e.g., Levophed, Vasopressin).
To add more lumens for the same venous access site, click the “Add Lumen” button. Each time you click it, a new input field will appear for you to enter another lumen name and its medications.
To add a completely new venous access site (e.g., PICC), click the “Add Venous Access” button. This will create a new section where you can enter the venous access name and add ports and medications following the same steps as above. Note that if you add a peripheral IV, you should label the lumen “PIV 1.”
If for whatever reason you add one too many lumens or one too many accesses, you can always remove them with the Remove button.
Once you’ve entered all the venous access sites, lumens, and medications, click the “Generate Diagram” button. This will produce a tree diagram below the form where medications appear on the right, ports in the middle, and venous access sites on the left.
If you need to start over, click the “Clear All” button. This will erase all your inputs and the diagram, resetting the tool to its default state with one venous access site ready to be filled in.
To print out the diagram, hit the “Print Diagram” button, and you will be able to print the diagram. Note that previous iterations did in fact ask the user to do a screenshot, but Version 1.1 fixed this.
Warning
Important: Users should ensure that all medications entered are compatible and can be safely infused through the specified lumen. This tool is intended for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for clinical judgment, medical diagnosis, or treatment. Always verify medication compatibility and infusion safety with appropriate clinical resources or guidelines.