Cardiac drips on neuro/tele floor?

[Lola77]

Just wondering if you do drips on your neuro floor? My last job was on a neuro floor and the only drip we ever did was heparin. I just moved and got a new job on a neuro/tele floor and my boss told me we do drips. Do you on your floors?

[Penelope_Pitstop, BSN, RN]

Hi, Lola.

I work on an Adult Medical floor that also serves as overflow for the stroke recovery floor. And we take patients on heart monitors, so although we're not neuro or tele per se, I say close enough for your question.

I decided to do a little research on what is considered okay for my floor.

I found quite the list of drugs we're allowed to give in drip form. Out of the list I found, I'd only personally seen Amiodarone, Dobutamine and Agatroban on my floor, and it unnerves be that we're allowed to give some of these! (FYI, I've also given Bumex, Lasix and Caffeine drips, but I guess those are not restricted in my health care system). Here are the rest:

~ Angiomax

~ Cardizem

~ Dopamine (may not titrate)

~ Brevibloc (may not initiate or titrate)

~ Inocor

~ Refludan (not really a cardiac drip)

~ Lidocaine

~ Aldomet

~ Lopressor

~ Primacor

~ Natrecor

~ Physostigmine

~ Procainamide

~ Vasopressin

~ Verapamil

What isn't on the list is Nitro. Interesting, because I admitted a patient from the ED on such a drip. I guess someone dropped the ball on THAT one!

[brownbook]

It is impossible to make a list of what meds/drips can be given on what hospital floor. New medications come out, at first their potential side effects are considered so life threatening they are ONLY given in specialized units with the patient on every concievable moniter and one to one nursing. After a few years of use and familiarity medical personal become comfortable. There are less restrictions, next thing you know the drip becomes common use on a medical/surgical floor.

[Penelope_Pitstop, BSN, RN]

It is impossible to make a list of what meds/drips can be given on what hospital floor.

In the style of Robert Goulet:

To Dream the Impossible Dream...to Fight...the unbeatable foe...

I believe that it is possible, as long as one bears in mind the ever-changing world of pharmacology.

[brownbook]

Yes impossible is not the term. I think (unfortunately) it is a legal issue. If protocol lists drugs not to be used on a med/surg unit. Then over time a drug is safely used everywhere and safely used on a med/surg unit. Then a problem happens, lawyers get involved, that list will be fodder for lawyers. I would imagine even if protocol is re-written a lawyer could still bring up the original protocol and claim that drug shouldn't have been used.

[Penelope_Pitstop, BSN, RN]

Yes impossible is not the term.

I was teasing you.

Anyway, your answer is deep and thought-provoking...a little too deep, methinks, for the OP's query...

[StepbyStep]

Depends on your floors tele level 1,2,3, etc at least that is how ours is. Each floor has regulations as to what you can hang certain meds you can hang only because chest pain but not to control bp etc. Most importantly our hospital will not allow a new nurse or any nurse for that matter to hang drips if they have not had the proper educations (cardio pulmonary assessment, etc). I dont consider heparin, insulin etc a drip but yeah we have those two on our floor as well as cardio drips etc on our neuro floor but some other floors can not have what we can and we can not have some that others can. Hope that helps.

[brownbook]

I understand what you mean, the OT really just asked an almost yes no question and I replied with a book!

[Penelope_Pitstop, BSN, RN]

I understand what you mean, the OT really just asked an almost yes no question and I replied with a book!

You wrote a book? Did you see my answer?