Ampules still being used, Ouch!

[NurseyPoo]

I have opened several of these little stinkers and hate it every time. I use a 2x2 and have always broken the top away from me. Well, I opened a defective one last night! The top came off and broke in a strange way. The bottom portion still had a large triangular shaped piece attached and Yep, SLICE! I sliced my thumb pretty bad. A nice slice from the center of my Thumb pad to under the thumb nail. I was bleeding like a stuck pig! It did not hurt but it bled for quite a while. One of the nurses I work with put a steri-strip on it. We then proceeded to wrap it to with-in an inch of its life. I woke up today because my poor finger was throbbing. It is a little swollen today but OUCH! It really hurts.

Why do we still have to use these antiquated little forms of medication. Hasn'ttechnology advanced enough to place these meds in a normal vial with a rubber stopper that can be pushed inside?

[NurseyPoo, RN]

The little culprit/offender was Nubain, 1cc.

[gitterbug]

Ampules are common here. Safety first with the 2 x 2, I use a filter when drawing up med too. Never know when even the tiniest sliver of glass got into the med.

[AZ Nurse]

With all the federal regulations regarding needleless equipment you would think that the danger posed by a break in skin from opening a glass ampule that shatters would also be a concern. In addition to approaching pharmacy try approaching your risk management people or whoever was in charge of bringing in needle safe devices to your facility.

[clee1]

The only thing we still use in ampules is Nubain.

I have suffered my share of nicks and scrapes from ampule cuts - they should be banned as a hazzard to mankind!

[Markthemalenurse]

I hate those thing. I could never open them correctly. I would always end up with a sharp point on the top part that you break off.

[teenynurse]

what i use is alchol pad I open the alchol stick the top in the alchol packet wrapper and then break it I never been cut, but you are right in a field where we are going needleless to prevent needle sticks there has to be a less likely to get cut

[htrn]

Our terbutaline now comes in 1ml vials instead of the ampules - YEAH!!! Still plenty of other ampules we have to use those.

JCAHO was at our hospital a couple weeks ago and was not happy to find ampules in our medcart. One made the comment "I sure don't want to have to wait for a nurse to open an ampule, draw up a med with a filter needle, change needles and then give me an injection while I am having a seizure". Funny, she wasn't too concerned about staff safety regarding ampules.

[twinmommy+2, ADN, BSN, MSN]

The two on my unit are phenergan and digoxin, but I know there was another one that is on the tip of my tongue that was a big sucker (can't remember it for the life of me). I cut my thumb on a phenergan amp a few weeks ago also.

[tvccrn, ASN, RN]

Our fentanyl still comes in the ampules.

tvccrn

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

what i use is alchol pad I open the alchol stick the top in the alchol packet wrapper and then break it I never been cut, but you are right in a field where we are going needless to prevent needle sticks there has to be a less likely to get cut

I was taught to do it this way, too, breaking away from body, not towards, and I've never been cut (or felt I was risking it even). They just snap off into the packet.

[texas_lvn]

I have found liquid bandaid from the drug store works good to seal small wounds and abrasions.

Rj

I love this "New Skin"!!! We are using it on stage 1and2 pressure ulcers in HH and it is the most effective I have seen. I use it on my boys for everything, They would rather have it than a band-aid!

[cardsRN]

yeah, ouch. with all the needleless systems and such out there, you'd think this one would be a no-brainer!