How often do you change the IV tubing when pt is prn adapted?

[Kurious RN]

IV tubing is changed every 72 hours in most hospitals, but if your patient is not receiving continuous fluid how often do you change the IV tubing? Let's say that your patient had a antibiotic at 11pm and it stopped at midnight, so you adapt your patient's IV. Would you use the same IV tubing 12 hours later to hang another antibiotic or medication?

Thanks!

[WalkieTalkie, RN]

Yes, I would consider it good for 96 hours after its first spiking. Our hospital's policy is to change all tubing, caps, etc, on Wednesdays and Sundays. It used to be 96 hours, but we recently changed it for consistency.

I would say as long as you aseptically cap it after the abx are given, then it is still good until the end of that time period. Does your hospital have a policy and procedure on tubing changes?

[CathyLew]

per our policy, 72 hrs. even intermittent infusions, for all peripheral lines. Or course, if it gets contaminated, change it imediately.

Central lines, different policy. And some PPN or Lipids, we change every time a new bag is hung.

[madwife2002, BSN, RN]

We change our tubing every 4 days

[jnrsmommy]

Wow, definitely see a range of what's standard. Facility I used to work at, the policy was to change the intermittent infusion lines every 24hrs.

[WalkieTalkie, RN]

I found a good PowerPoint about this here: http://www.iv-therapy.net/pdf/Monthly.ppt

[iluvivt, BSN, RN]

Ins recommends that primary intermittent tubing be changed every 24 hours. Ins recommends that all primary continuous and secondary be changed every 72 hours. Some extend this to 96 hours if infection rates are low. primary intermittent tubing have a higher risk for contamination (repeated connection and disconnection) and higher risk for bacterial growth (just hanging there and stagnant as opposed to a continuous rate). Nurses do get confused about the differences.

[mcknis]

ours is just what iluvit stated. Continuous line every 72hrs and PRN lines daily.

[Babs0512]

q 48 hours for basic IV infusion.

[HamsterRN, ADN, RN]

The current CDC recommendation for changing IV tubing is that both primary and secondary (intermittent) tubing be changed no more often than every 72 hours, except for lipids, blood, etc. This is a class 1a recommendation (the highest level of recommendation possible). This is based on data that shows IV tubing changes present a risk for contamination. Supposedly the INS recommends q24hr secondary tubing changes. No disrespect to the Infusion Nurses Society, but when it comes to infection control I am more likely to go with what the Centers for Disease Control recommends based on extensive and thorough research focused on infection control.

[iluvivt, BSN, RN]

The CDC does not specifically address PRIMARY intermittent..and believe me in a court of law they look at the INS standards as well as those set by NAVAN

[anangelsmommy, ADN, BSN, RN]

what are the recommendations for blood or blood products? I have come across several different answers for this as well looking at old posts and I wonder if this had changed or if this still is different depending on hospital policy?

angels mommy