DripMap: A Visual Tool for Infusion Mapping
Infusion line management in critical care settings is a complex but essential task. With patients often requiring multiple simultaneous medications, ensuring clarity and compatibility of infusion lines is paramount. DripMap is a web-based application designed to help visualize and organize medication setups through venous access lumens in an intuitive and structured way.
The project revolves around a dynamic interface where users can input medication names, assign them to specific lumens, and link these lumens to venous access points such as CVCs or PICCs. Using D3.js, the tool generates a hierarchical tree diagram that flows left to right, representing medications, lumens, and venous access points. This diagram helps users conceptualize the structure and relationships of infusion lines, ensuring they grasp how different medications are distributed and organized
One of DripMap’s standout features is its interactivity. Users can dynamically add or remove lumens and venous access points, tailoring the diagram to their specific needs. A print functionality allows for easy documentation, and the inclusion of a customizable watermark—“Made using DripMap”—ensures credit is given when diagrams are shared.
Under the hood, DripMap relies on HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, with D3.js powering its diagram generation. The app uses modern web standards to ensure compatibility across devices, requiring nothing more than a browser to operate. By combining simplicity with scalability, DripMap bridges the gap between abstract infusion concepts and their practical applications.
As DripMap evolves, one of the most exciting planned features is “Enhanced Compat Mode,” an innovative tool to optimize IV medication groupings. Its goal is to group compatible medications into the smallest number of lumens or ports, with a preference for 3-drug groupings, while adhering to strict compatibility constraints. This feature reflects real-world ICU needs, where reducing the number of infusion lines simplifies care and preserves venous access. Powered by an iterative grouping algorithm, Enhanced Compat Mode will analyze user-inputted medications against a compatibility matrix, dynamically clustering them into safe, efficient configurations. It will also offer real-time visualizations, highlighting groupings and suggesting alternative setups to meet specific patient or provider needs.
Looking ahead, Enhanced Compat Mode has the potential to incorporate customizable compatibility matrices tailored to institutional policies and leverage machine learning to refine its suggestions over time. By blending visualization with science, this feature aims to simplify infusion planning while fostering a deeper understanding of medication compatibility. Enhanced Compat Mode exemplifies DripMap’s commitment to advancing educational tools that balance safety, efficiency, and adaptability, empowering healthcare providers to make smarter decisions in high-stakes critical care environments.
DripMap isn’t just a tool; like many of my other projects, it’s a stepping stone for exploring how technology can simplify complex workflows in healthcare.