IV Piggybacks

[poppy07]

Want some clarification...

IV Piggybacks can run alone, or with a maintenance fluid right?

For ex) say you have a triple lumen catheter & need to run Cipro, TPN, NS, and KCL. I would have TPN by itself, NS running with 20 mEq KCl piggybacked to that line, and Cipro running on its own primary IV tubing in the 3rd.

My preceptor argued that "the piggybacks have to run as piggybacks" with another fluid..."so wait until the other piggyback is done, and then start the Cipro as a piggyback with the NS."

At a later time, I tried to explain my understanding is that whether a "piggyback" is run and programmed as a piggyback with another fluid OR run in on its own line, it's still infusing by itself as it "takes over the other fluid running."

Right?

[lisa41rn]

The nurse posting this is right. Piggybacks take over from the fluid you piggyback it to. So if Cipro was piggybacked onto a bag of NS, the NS would stop running while the Cipro infused and then the NS would take over once the Cipro was done. Where I work antibiotics or any infusable med is diluted by the pharmacy and can be piggybacked if it is compatible to the main line of fluid running. If it isn't compatible or you don't have anything running, you can run the Cipro or whatever on its own. Seeing the responses, it looks like all facilities don't run piggybacks the same way.