HI! How frequently do you change out your standard IV fluids(NS, D5W, LR, etc.)? Every 24 hours? 48? 72? When empty? Have you seen any infections that might be contributed to contaminated IV fluid? I'm updating a guideline; thanks so much for the help. JeannieM

[lindalee]

For years we had to change IV solutions every 24 hours and IV tubings every 48 hours. This was changed several years ago to 72 hours for plain IV solutions and tubings. TPN remains every 24 hours due to high glucose content and possibility of bacterial growth.

[CRNI]

According to the Infusion Nursing Standards of Practice - S73: "After being added to an administration set, a medication or solution should be infused or discarded within 24 hours."

Thanks! This is frustrating; CDC recommendations allow for a longer hang time, the Infusion Nurses Society is still at 24 hours, and I'm ready to scream! Peers who are using longer hang times, are you seeing any increase in infection rates? I really appreciate the help.

[nurse-lou]

At both hospitals at which I have been employed in my 5 years of nursing, the policy was that IV Fluids were discarded after being hung for 24 hours. We change IV tubing after 72 hours and TPN gets changed every 24 hours along with the tubing. We change central line tubing after 48 hours.

Until my hospital comes out with a policy stating otherwise, I will continue to change IV fluids every 24 hours.

[Nanette]

4 of our system hospitals went with CDC reccommendations several years ago with no increase in infections.
The theory is to keep the system as intact as possible, it's when we access the system integrity that puts increased infection risk.
fyi
nan

[BadBird]

I agree with the 24 hr. change for all fluids, propofol is changed q12hrs. Most times IVF is changed several times in a 24 hr. period but tubing in q72hrs for IVF, Q24hr for TPN. PRBC we change after 2 units.

[nimbex]

My hospital is the same as nurse Lou

[sherbeari]

We also change the propofol tubing q12h in the ICU I work at.

[christianRN]

Same as Badbird