IV albumin

[rileygrl11]

Last night, I had to give IV albumin and threw my hands up in disgust. It was SO hard to get the stupid tubing primed so that I could put the cartriage into the pump and run it. I had the vent open on the tubing (by the spike part). I remember awhile ago seeing another nurse prime her tubing somehow by using a syringe filled with NS. I can't remember how she did it but it was quick and it made it so she could just put it on the pump and go. Does anyone have any hints or advice on how to make this easier.

[Gompers, BSN, RN]

It seems like the original problem was with priming IV tubing made to run in an infusion pump, instead of using the tubing supplied. The suggestion about priming the tubing with saline first, then spiking the albumin might work in that case, since the pump will do all the work "pulling" the albumin through the line once it's running. Though like I said, I haven't had a problem priming Horizon infusion pump tubing with 5% albumin.

[ICUgeek12]

I know this is an old thread but.....How the heck are you all administering Albumin?? Albumin is administered through special tubing provided by pharmacy. The tubing is large bore and is filtered. It is administered FREE FLOW, not through a pump. That is probably why you are having trouble! I have never had trouble administering albumin.

[iluvivt, BSN, RN]

The truth is ..its not the safest or best practice to make your own vent with a 18 gauge needle into the albumin bottle. Albumin is heat treated only and is at risk for bacterial contamination ..so the needle as a vent would be a violation of the standard of care. anytime you have a vent..and when you are giving anything viscous and in a small bottle...(things like IVIG and albumin)...IF the vent gets wet and or you do not spike and prime it in the correct sequence..it can be difficult to prime....so this is what I instruct the nurses to do and this is what I do for my home IVIG pt....squeeze the drip chamber between your fingers and spike the bootle...hang the bottle...then open the vent after that is done.......hang it high.....then open to prime...you may have to twist the spike a little bit to get it going and take the sterile end cap off....you should NEVER have to prime it with saline...you want to keep from breaking into the IV system like this...esp a a blood product like this with NO preservative...try it this way...next time I do my IVIG pt I will pay more attention to how I do it...I do without thinking and it works every time without fail. Let me know how it works for anyone

[dankimal]

where I work, the pharmacy has specialized tubing for platelets with a nifty one way vent on the collection chamber that makes priming quick and easy.

[IndtrpRN]

The BEST thing to do is take a 25-50ml NS flush bag, most facilities carry these small flush bags in the med room, PRIME the primary tubing with the NS then spike the albumin bottle. With the glass just remember to open the valve. Poking a hole in the vent hole somtimes helps the flow..but usually just causes a sticky mess!!!

[jujuseah, RN]

Spike it! Free flow!