Lipping the bottle

TazziRN, RN · Jun 20, 2007

I was never taught that. I was taught to pour pills from a multi-use bottle into the cap, then into a med cup, never touching the pills with my fingers. Now I see nurses touching pills all the time.

hikernurse · Jun 20, 2007

OK...this is one of those things that really chap my hide!!!
I can remember being taught in Nursing School to "lip the bottle" meaning prior to using the contents of a bottle of solution, some of it should be poured across the rim of the bottle sa as to decontaminate the outside of the bottle. I have always thought that this was one of those silly Nursing Wives Tales because:
If the lip of the bottle is contaminated, then the contents of the bottle should be considered contaminated as well...
Simply pooring some liquid across a contaminated field will not render it clean or sterile (remember...we have to use soap and friction to properly wash our hands)...:trout:
What do you folks think?

We were taught (and tested!) on the same info. I agree with you. Pouring a bit of liquid to clean didn't seem very logical. If that's all it takes, then why the fuss about having a sterile field :rolleyes: .

Dolce, RN · Jun 20, 2007

I was taught that same thing and it never made much sense to me either. Thankfully so few dressing changes that we do now are sterile that it hasn't been an issue but I do feel kind of silly pouring a little saline into the trash to make it "sterile." I wonder if there is any research to back that up. Evidence based practice is such a biggy.

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Jun 20, 2007

I was taught to "lip the bottle", and since my last evaluation in school more than a year ago, have yet to see it done again (in the real world).

Ever.

oramar · Jun 20, 2007

It should be fairly easy to do the research that would identify whether this is necessary or not.

caliotter3 · Jun 20, 2007

I wasn't taught this. Was taught on the job to pour pills into the cap like Tazzi described. Something was said about the proper way to get a powder out of a bottle, as we were preparing for a survey, but the secret was never divulged. Something about not sticking a spoon into the bottle. Always wondered about that ever since. Also taught to pour away from the label so overdrips would not obscure the label and to clean off the excess around the cap. Of course, we never did this in a sterile manner. This is an interesting topic.

zahryia, LPN · Jun 20, 2007

I'd love to see the research behind this. :uhoh3:

P.S What does lipping the bottle have to do with medication administration? I thought it applied to sterile fields.

Balder_LPN, LPN · Jun 20, 2007

I am nearly done with school and we havent ever been taught this lipping the bottle thing. The lip is under the cap and should be sterile, once it is opened it would be clean, correct? so what purpose could pouring the fluid across it have?

ND76 · Jun 20, 2007

I work in the ER, and I just usually pull out a new bottle of sterile saline for irrigation for each patient. We have to charge them for it anyway, why not give them their own sterile bottle?

Another way that I pour it sometimes is use a new 18 gauge needle to break the foil seal, not remove it completely, and just squirt the saline directly through the hole I made.

As far as multi-dose bottles of other meds, the only thing I can think of that we actually use is Motrin elixir for peds patients. Everything else is packaged for single use.

DionaLPN · Jun 20, 2007

i was taught the same way too, and with not touching any of the pills. Where I work now, they have bottles that are only one use -much better - just toss out whatever wasn;t used and know that it's no way contaminated.

We had the state in just recently and they go with you when you do your med pass and that's a check if you touch the pills.

bigsyis · Jun 20, 2007

Went to LPN school and ADN, and NEVER heard this one. The closest is that when you open a new vial of something, even wehn supposedly capped w/a sterile cap, you are supposed to clean the rubber diaphragm with an alcohol pledget.