Mediport

Nurses General Nursing

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Can someone please explain why you must always use a 10cc syringe to flush a mediport? Thanks

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

I seem to remember it being related to the amount of pressure that can be exerted by anything smaller than a 10cc syringe. Smaller syringes can cause more pressure to be used, and possibly rupture the cath. But, my memory is fuzzy, so that may be totally off.

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

Jessie thats what I recall too. And thats what I always teach new nurses when they ask me why. So either we are both wrong or right...LOL

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Specializes in ORTHOPAEDICS-CERTIFIED SINCE 89.

That's correct. The larger the syringe volume will exert less pressure into the chamber and thus put less stress on the port leading to the VC.

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It is pressure.

Also, knowing this gives you a key tip in unclogging feeding tubes. TB syringes are wonderful for this.

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Specializes in ED, ICU, PACU.

It's a physics thing

Pressure = force/area

The pressure exerted has an inverse relationship to the area (Pi r2); so, for each increment of diameter increase, you will decrease the pressure to the square of the increase. Also, with greater surface area, an additional drag force is created which also contributes to decreasing the force proportionally to the pressure.

OMG, I think I sounded like a textbook---So sorry :sstrs:

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