I almost pulled it out!

Published

Specializes in NICU.

Oh Lord, guess what I did yesterday. My orders said to pull my UVC and UAC back 1 cm. So our lines are sutured into the umbilical stumpp and usually to pull back a small amount you can just give a firm steady pull and it will come out slowly. Well, when pulling the UVC it was giving a little resistance, then suddenly the sutures came out and the whole thing popped out 3cm!

That's too far for you non-NICU people...

Damn, so I had a fleeting thought of just pushing it back in, but that won't work because it isn't sterile, plus it can advance in to the liver. So we got an xray and it was just barely NOT in far enough. Damn. So they had me pull it back to a low-lying position and set up for a PICC. I had my UVC taped at 3cm for half the day! And it wasn't sutured... I was checking that thing almost constantly to make sure it wasn't pulled out!

Luckily, the PICC went in fine and the UAC was still okay, but I have to say, I felt pretty embarrassed!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Belive me this has happend to me.

I think I have at one time or another pulled out just about everything there is to pull out (sometimes with a little help from the baby).

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU, Infection Control.

Things like that'll give ya a heart attack, gray hair, and possibly IBS.

YIKES! :eek:

Fortunately, they don't happen too often, but next time you have to pull a line back, take some nice deep breaths....

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU, PICU, PACU.

We had two instances where a nurse pulled the lines out...we aren't allowed to do it anymore...nevermind that the residents do it all the time :p

I hate when stuff like that happens...I've had chest tubes flop out....Now that is scary!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Wow! Do most of you pull out UV/UAs????:eek: Only docs do it for us! Gawd! I'm scared enough when I tape them I'mm gonna yank it out!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion