IV confusion-

Nurses Medications

Published

Situation :Hanging 2 IV meds due at same time. NO primary fluids running. One is Zosyn running over 4 hours at a slow rate/hr.(maybe 31ml/hr?) The other is vanco running in at 250 ml/hour for an hour. They are compatible. Both have their own pump. Only one IV site for access.

Question: Does it matter which one runs as the main line (connected to heplock/pt) and which gets Y-sited in? Will they both go at their correct rate no matter what? Thx.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

Yes they will, and I would connect the zosyn (which runs for 4 hours) directly to the IV and would y-site the vanc to the zosyn.

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Specializes in Emergency Department.

I would agree: as long as the two medications are compatible, you connect the longer (time) running med directly to the IV site and Y-site connect the quicker (time) running medication. In this case, the Zosyn will be going for 4 hours. That one will be your primary line and the Vanco, since it will take much less time to infuse, will be connected to a Y-site of the primary line BELOW the pump for the primary line. You're not piggybacking the Vanco, you're running it concurrently with the Zosyn.

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Thanks! That's what I thought, but then started second guessing myself. :barefoot:

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