How often to change central line transducers?

[Lisa_Wray]

Hey everyone,

I am trying to gather information about how often other NICU's change out transducers on central lines whether it be on UAC's, UVC's or peripheral arterial lines. Right now we change them everyday with fluid changes but we were wondering if that was necessary esp. if a closed system is used. We are trying to be cost conscience without jeopardizing patient care. I would appreciate any input.

Thank you,

lisa

[BittyBabyGrower, MSN, RN]

We change ours with the tubing changes because the fluid goes thru there. Unless there are different setups, I am thinking there isn't any getting around it. Ours get changed every 72 hours.

[Gompers, BSN, RN]

We change ours with the tubing changes because the fluid goes thru there. Unless there are different setups, I am thinking there isn't any getting around it. Ours get changed every 72 hours.

Same with us, changed with tubing changes. If it's a bag prepared by pharmacy (like 0.45%NS with heparin for the tiny babies) then we change tubing and transducer every 72 hours, and spike a new IV bag every 24 hours. If it was a stock bag (meaning it's still in its original wrapper and nothing has been added by the pharmacy) like regular 0.9%NS with heparin, the IV bag AND the tubing can stay up for 96 hours straight. The only tubing we change daily is lipids, or if they drastically change a hyperal formula or whatever.

[iceNICUnurse]

We have this rule for tubing changes:

24 hours: Lipids

48 hours: Central lines and arteries, transducer changed with tubing.

72 hours: Periferal iv´s.

We change the fluids every day exept if the baby is getting NS in the Artery then we let that be for 48 hours.

[SURFnNURSE]

All our fluids get changed every 24 hrs, except for art lines, mso4 gtt's, dopa gtts etc which get changed every 72 hrs