pca pumps

[amyBSN]

just wondering what brand of pca pumps are used at your facilities and has there ever been any problems with the pump causing an overdose to a patient.

Thanks

[RN always, BSN, RN]

havent heard of any overdoses. I have seen patients trying to get an overdose. One patient cut the tubing and was trying to pour MS into a cup then drinking it. Another patient broke the glass on the pump and stole the syringe and left AMA! Oh the people that we meet in this business!

[P_RN, ADN, RN]

The Abbott PCA is the IVpca pump used. The Bard is the epoidural pca pump used. We had one case of an intruder going in patients rooms and piercing the tubing trying to extract MS. I don't know if s/he was ever caught. No ODs that I know of.

[SmilingBluEyes]

Never with either of the machines used. HOPE IT NEVER happens either, obviously.

[lsyorke, RN]

We had a patient who disconnected his line and hooked it up to his roommate!!! (both young addicts) When questioned he said"I just wanted to share the wealth"

Laurie

[Nurse Ratched, RN]

I can't think of the brand name (they are gray - real helpful, I know! ) I do know that you are alwys supposed to use the purge function on the keypad to prime the line because if you squeeze the stuff through manually, you risk busting the filter that prevents accidental dumping of large amounts of the drug if there would be a machine malfunction. It's some sort of safety backup.

I, too, have had pt's trying to "share and share alike" of their roommate's morphine... That earns a trip to our crisis care unit.