Needleless intravenous device and iv therapy.

deespoohbear · Nov 6, 2001

I did get stuck at least once giving an IVP through a "rubber" port. I was trying to flush a saline lock on an infant. The baby moved her arm, hit the syringe and stuck me. Giving meds through a needle port could become hazardous if your pt is combative and swinging at you. I was thrilled when our facility had to switch to needleless system. It was the only way our facility was going to change it for us. The administration kept telling us that a needleless system was too expensive. They said we didn't have enough sticks a year to justify going needleless. Isn't one enough? Of course, this was being said by people who sit at a desk all day (like the admininistrator, DON, and infection control nurse). That is how it always goes, isn't it? Oh, well.

KRVRN, BSN, RN · Nov 6, 2001

Nurse Tami,

Yeah, I sometimes draw my med up in a 1cc syringe to measure it, then use a needle to squirt it into a 3cc. Just one thing I've noticed though... Depending on the size of needle you use, the needle length iteslf can sometimes hold 0.1cc of fluid in it (usually the 1" to 1.5" needles). So you would have to draw some air into the syringe and then empty out the needle length. But then you have to also consider that those syringes usually assume you won't be injecting what is in the hub of the syringe, so would drawing air into the syringe to clear out the needle be overdosing? If a drug is being given in such small doses (esp 0.96cc on an ADULT), maybe that extra amount would make a difference. But then I would also assume that there would ultimately be a small amount left in the hub of the 3cc syringe, so in mind everything should come out okay.

In all honestly, I usually just cram the 1cc in the Clave and push it all in at once (it's usually under 0.5cc if I'm actually using a 1cc). Then if it has to be pushed over X minutes I just flush it in slowly with NS.

We don't even have tuberculin syringes with attached needles on my unit.

pmkmom · Nov 6, 2001

We use the claves and you can put a tuberculin syringe on it - just push it in and turn it and it locks on the clave. I didn't know that at first and used 3 cc syringes until someone showed me. Give it a try.

a-rose · Nov 10, 2001

how long a needleless system is exchanged ?

misti_z · Nov 11, 2001

Originally posted by a-rose
how long a needleless system is exchanged ?

I don't understand what you are trying to ask?

Try to restate your question, and maybe we can help.

P_RN, ADN, RN · Nov 11, 2001

a-rose,

We used a new connector each time for the small IV bags.

For IV sites we used the needleless IV catheters every 3 days to change the site. A new port (INT/HepLok) was put on at that time.

The needleless ports were made into the IV tubing which we changed every Monday Wednesday and Friday.

a-rose · Nov 13, 2001

how long you make injecting for the patient,again.? I heard of longger than 3 days to use the needleless IV catheters.