Nurses Safety
Published Apr 17, 2003
Liddle Noodnik
3,789 Posts
Hi, I am new here!
sanakruz, ADN
735 Posts
Howdy-
Havent given or received any heparin injections lately myself.....
debbyed
566 Posts
Well Hi there!!!
And the question You wish to ask???
Ooops, I am REALLY new, I entered before I posed my question.
I just recently started a new job in a major hospital. We'all were talking about heparin injections and NO ONE had heard of changing the needle ( for sub q injection) after withdrawing heparin from a vial.
I'm interested to see if any of YOU do change the needle so as to prevent the heparin on the needle from "tracking" into the injection site. They all looked at me like I was from a foreign country or something!
plumrn, BSN, RN
424 Posts
That's the way I learned it, too. Use a 25g or 28g needle, change needles after drawing up, 90 degree angle in the abd, below the umbilicus, don't aspirate, don't massage. We were also taught to check the dose with another nurse after drawing it up. This was a few yrs ago.
RNIAM, BSN, RN
1,214 Posts
plumrn
That is how we are being taught right now.
RNonsense
415 Posts
Yes, it stops "blue belly" syndrome.
P_RN, ADN, RN
6,011 Posts
Same here but we use a 3 cc syringe because makes for less pressure than a tb one does.
panda_181
189 Posts
We were only taught to change the needle when doing IMs...not Heparin. We don't have vials, we use ampules, but you can still get Heparin on the needle from those. If you're going to go to that extreme, wouldn't they want you to change the needle after drawing up Insulin?
Amanda :)
ceecel.dee, MSN, RN
869 Posts
We don't even use SQ Heparin anymore.
It's Lovenox, and syringes are prefilled, so no needle change!
re: changing the needle after insulin, it is because heparin is an anticoagulant that you'd change the needle; "blue belly" = unnecessary bruising from the medicine that sticks to the outside of the needle.
I'm glad people are responding; good idea about the 3cc syringe!
kimmicoobug
586 Posts
I have never changed the needle with hep...but then again, I have only given it once. :)
I have only really given Lovenox.