smart pump issue

Nursing Students Student Assist

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This may be a dumb question, but I cant figure out why the last 2 times Ive hung a secondary infusion after the infusion is complete and the primary switches over but the secondary keeps back filling with the primary fluid...what is goin on here?

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

you need to hang the primary lower than the secondary....the fluid will follow the path of least resistance.

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The primary was hanging on an extender and secondary higher..im confused..I did not set to call back is that the problem?

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I have had this happen exactly twice and the only thing I could do to fix the problem was run new tubing. Perhaps some sort of flaw in the lines, if you had everything set up correctly.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

I have found not all smart pumps are that smart. The cheaper solution is to slightly lower the main IVF

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
The primary was hanging on an extender and secondary higher..im confused..I did not set to call back is that the problem?

That shouldn't matter.....was your secondary infusion hung with a back check valve tubing and the secondary mode active??

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what ever else is going on, (don't Know these pumps) fluid WILL take path of least resistance. either the IV site was no good, or some other resistance issue....can you be sure the secondary ran? or did it end up in the primary bag?

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Not sure about the type of tubing because It wss already there from the previous doses..actually for both they were already there...humm maybe wrong tubing but I wouldnt know how to look at the tubing and know if it was what u r calling it...yes secondary programmed correctly

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Specializes in ER trauma, ICU - trauma, neuro surgical.

I have a theory. I don't know if you are using the pumps that load the tubing in a vertical manner, but if the tubing is loaded straight up and down, I've had the tubing kink. Actually, it usually is kinked. The upper portion of tubing was laying to the side and the tubing kinks right above the channel. The tube spacing is so wide from the chamber to the pump that part of the secondary tubing also lays to the side and fluid backs up into the secondary. As Esme12 said, I usually have to lower the pump way down to get rid of the slack. (So I end up having to bend over to program the pump b/c half of the poles don't extend up). I try and drop the primary down, but then it sits below the pump. That's my theory.

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