Re: PCA pump syringe changes Originally Posted by ldudziak 
We have an ongoing disagreement between nursing and pharmacy regarding how often the syringes in PCA pumps need to be changed. One group says every 24 hours, another group says every 48 to 72 hours. The "24 hour" group sites potential organism growth in the syringe itself, the "48-72 hour" group sites potential infection due to opening the closed system more frequently. I'm not finding much online. Does anyone have specific policies/procedures or article references that address this question?
Our PCA pumps use bags, not syringes. They usually run out or are discontinued before this, but the rule is 96 hours, bag and tubing. IV fluids which have dextrose in them are changed q 24 hours. I've been told that fluids without dextrose are less prone to grow stuff, and the risk is higher for infection d/t frequent opening of the line. High dextrose fluids, such as TPN, require that the bag AND tubing be changed q 24 hours.
PCA pump syringe changes
Search Tags
Nursing News