Hey guys, today I had a patient with several IV push meds all due to be given at the same time (lasix, protonix, thiamine). He had NS running at the same time and I pushed the meds through the port closest to the patient, using the NS running as a flush - BIG mistake, lesson learned, won't happen again. Protonix and lasix went through just fine, but once I started pushing thiamine, white thick precipitates formed. I immediately stopped the infusion, threw the tubing away, and used a NS flush before I finished the thiamine push.
I felt HORRIBLE about this and left the hospital thinking - "What if some of the precipitate got through before I saw it and he codes tonight from a clot"? Even though I didn't see any of the precipitate make it through to him. Could this actually cause a clot, or is it more likely to have a med reaction?
What COULD happen if some of the precipitates DID go through his IV line into his circulation? He had a peripheral line going into his AC, not a central line.
