Administerring 5-fu at home, urgent advice needed

SonorityGenius · Apr 18, 2012

oh jeez are you serious? First 5-FU can be continuous infusion for 5 days, so the patient needs to be Admitted as an inpatient. If not the patient needs to go to the Oncologist or Infusion Center. You should NOT administer it at home.

AgentBeast, BSN, RN · Apr 18, 2012

Well the first step would be contacting the Florida BON.

The second step would be to look up Fluorouracil in your favorite drug guide.

sailkeys · Apr 18, 2012

I have read that it can be started and given at home, usually started in an outpatient clinic and then the patient goes home for 48 hours. What I can't find is if one needs to be chemo certified to give this medication or even how to give it.

I am concerned about giving this chemotherapy, as I am NOT CHEMO CERTIFIED. Has anyone ever given this medication that can help guide me?

sailkeys · Apr 18, 2012

thank you for the input, it is very much appreciated!!

AMN74 · Apr 18, 2012

The 5FU patients that we get at home get it set up in the oncology clinic, usually after POC is accessed and labs are drawn. They put it on a pump and send the patients home with the drug to infuse over 5 days. Sometimes we get orders to d/c the 5fu after the infusion and d/c the huber needle, but most times they do that in the oncology clinic too.

GoECU · Apr 18, 2012

When I worked at a home health agency, it was rare, but every once in awhile we would have a orders to d/c 5fu but not to set up. Not sure if you need to be certified or not, but when my manager tried to get me to go out and take it down one day, without any prior experience doing it, I refused as I did not think it was safe for the patient or I to do this without prior knowledge of the procedure.

brainkandy87 · Apr 18, 2012

When I worked at a home health agency, it was rare, but every once in awhile we would have a orders to d/c 5fu but not to set up. Not sure if you need to be certified or not, but when my manager tried to get me to go out and take it down one day, without any prior experience doing it, I refused as I did not think it was safe for the patient or I to do this without prior knowledge of the procedure.

This, 100%. If you've never done it, especially with something like chemotherapy, never try to do it without experienced help.

WildcatFanRN, BSN, RN · Apr 18, 2012

I'm not and oncology nurse, but my mom was on 5-FU for home infusion. The HH nurse came and started the infusion after her chemo treatment at the infusion center. Then the nurse came back 48 hours later to stop the infusion and heplock her port site. However, her nurse was chemotherapy certified. There are precautions.

Columnist · Apr 18, 2012

Moved to Home Health Nursing.

caliotter3 · Apr 18, 2012

When I am asked to do something in the home health environment that I am unqualified to do or uncomfortable with, I inform my employer and decline the assignment. Administering chemo at home would fall into that category. Now, if the employer wanted to do what is necessary to make me qualified, that is another story. However, it seems the employers always expect us to wing it, as if we didn't have careers or livelihoods to worry about, much less the poor patients.

Sue Damonas, BSN · Apr 19, 2012

Yes, you do need to be chemo certified to start or disconnect chemo. Don't let them make you do something that you have not had the proper training for. Let us know how it turns out.