Confused about Carpuject???

Nurses Medications

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So why are Carpujects used? Is it to help control drug diversion? Is it somehow safer? I am so confused about the purpose of them because it doesnt change the way you administer the med. If its ordered for IV push then you push it...ect. I have google it but no answers...

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Which part of carpuject confuses you? The blue holder?

Just twist to click in, and twist to click out. They are kind of annoying.

I hate those things, so I jerry rigged a plunger to fit inside the back end of the vial. Or u can just draw the med up into a regular syringe.

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Specializes in Tele Step Down, Oncology, ICU, Med/Surg.

I like using my Carpuject when I can because it saves the step of having to draw up morphine into a syringe. However, it is against policy at my hospital to use anything smaller than 10cc syringes on central lines, so I draw up the morphine for those pts.

When I have a pt with a PIV who needs morphine, I reach for the Carpuject and and click the skinny morphine vial into it, and it saves me a step. If that pt needs morphine Q2hrs that saved step adds up so I find the jects valuable timesavers.....when I can use them.

I don't see them laying around our med room anymore so am hanging on to my last one. Worried where to get another one once this one disappears on me.

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Specializes in Nurse Educator, Culturally Sensitive Nsg.

Accidentally threw away my preceptor's Carpuject into the sharps container in nsg school... she actually convinced the housekeeper to open the bin up, and fished it out with a pair of hemostats... naughty-naughty!! I was SO embarassed!!!! LOL

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Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.

It's just a delivery device designed for use with tubex-es.

How do you feel it provides a control or deterrent against diversion?

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Thanks. I understand how to physically use it but I wanted to know why. I wanted to know what is the point of using a carpuject when you can just draw it with a syringe and needle. I didnt know if there was some type of research behind it. ie: patient safety

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Altra. I saw something online about it being used by facilities for drug diversion control but I am not sure how or why.

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It's simply a type of unit dose. 25 years ago (or so...I didn't write down the date :D) they were a huge improvement over having to use ampules; they also cut down a step in giving meds by not having to draw up the meds. If you like drawing up meds, you just snap off the needle assembly, and you have a stopper top. :)

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I don't understand how carpujects could possibly cut down on diversion.

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

It's just a time saver, once you know how to use it. I have been given several and have managed to "lose" all of them. To me a syringe and an 18g is so much quicker but then I'm not great with anything resembling something mechanical. Somehow the plunger end always gets caught on the end of my carpuject and I end up spending another 5 or so minutes trying to free my carpuject from the used vial.

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Specializes in Cardiac, PCU, Surg/Onc, LTC, Peds.

Safety. Why risk drawing up something with a needle when you can have a needle-less system?

Try it, it really is quicker :)

ETA: Nurse safety and reduces potential contamination.

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I really like them. I don't find them difficult to use, and not having to draw up the med is a huge time saver.

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