Most drips at once

Christy1019, ASN, RN · Oct 7, 2014

Out of curiosity, did your pt live? If so, did they regain any useful functions?

SionainnRN · Oct 7, 2014

Most drips I've had running at one time so far is nine. (Vaso, levo, neo, heparin, diprivan, fentanyl, saline, zosyn, cardizem.) I know people have had to have more. What's your record? And why? (My pt went into afib RVR after rewarming from hypothermia.)

Is zosyn really considered a drip?Usually it's given q 8 not continuously.

Biffbradford · Oct 7, 2014

I don't remember what they all were, but I recall an ECMO patient that had 4 stacks of Baxter double pumpers. (not the official term) :) Two stacks on each side of the bed and prob. 4 high (you could go more but the pole got real unstable) so that would make 16 if they were all used (I don't recall) and prob. included a couple pressors, one or two for heart rate, sedative, analgesic, back up fluids, a paralytic, TPN, citrate for CVVH, you name it. That's one of those 2 nurses to 1 patient deals where you need a nurse functioning as a 'mechanic' to keep up with the chores. :sneaky: 12 running would certainly be possible. That's a lot of fluid!

RNNPICU, BSN, RN · Oct 7, 2014

I've had dopa, epi, milrinone, TPN, Lipids, lasix, bicarb, insulin, calcium, citrate (for the CVVH pump), morpine, versed and vec. There also were a few 2 or 3 NS KVOs.

Unfortunately I had the pt and the CVVH pump. It was a crazy night This was several years ago.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Oct 7, 2014

12 drips on a transplant patient. That was 20 years ago, and I don't remember what they all were, but I VIVIDLY remember being in isolation with him four 12 hour night shifts in a row and changing the tubing on all 12 of those drips every 24 hours (on my shift.)

annie.rn · Oct 7, 2014

None recently as I work on a general med/surg unit but I remember a few pt.'s when I worked oncology w/ so many lines I'd spend the first 30 mins. of the shift following all the lines from the bag to the pt.'s body and labeling them all between the bag and the pump and again between the pump the pt. I also labeled each pump (or each channel of a multi-channel pump) w/ a piece of tape w/ the name of the drug. I covered the start and stop buttons so the rates could not be changed w/o stopping to pull back the tape. This was done in order to provide one last failsafe so that the right medication was being adjusted. Add to the IV lines all the pts. drains and you could have upwards of 10 lines. I liked to get them all organized. The pts. and my coworkers appreciated it.

I miss those days.

delphine22 · Oct 8, 2014

Is zosyn really considered a drip?Usually it's given q 8 not continuously.

You are correct, but I was more thinking of walking in a room and seeing all three triple-pumps running at once.

Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN · Oct 8, 2014

I've had 12 a couple of times--both in CVICU. I haven't been in the CVICU in several years so can't remember what they were...but there were some pressors in there, propofol, vec, fentanyl, insulin, TPN, Lasix... One's dx I don't remember but he was on ECMO. The other had had a heart transplant the day or two before but was too edematous to close. So he was vec'd and heavily sedated in the ICU with an open chest (covered w/ that Betadine-impregnated transparent drape which I can't think of the name for)

Recently we had a GSW x8. The last day when we lost him, he was on 9 drips. Maintenance fluid, vec, fentanyl, propofol, levo, neo, vaso, they'd just added epi...and I can't remember #9 offhand.

Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN · Oct 8, 2014

12 drips on a transplant patient. That was 20 years ago, and I don't remember what they all were, but I VIVIDLY remember being in isolation with him four 12 hour night shifts in a row and changing the tubing on all 12 of those drips every 24 hours (on my shift.)

Ouch. :eek:

essT · Oct 9, 2014

For a patient with E. coli bacteremia AND bilateral PEs:

Levophed, neosynephrine, epinephrine, vasopressin, versed, nimbex, heparin, insulin, sodium bicarb, 4 PRBCs, 2 FFP, and a few KVO/piggy back lines for abx.

I will never forget that night!

francoml, ASN, RN · Oct 10, 2014

Levo, vaso, neo, epi, dopamine, saline, albumin, blood, plasma, platelets, meropenem, vanco, TPN, acyclovir, insulin, fentanyl, and vecuronium. needless to say the patient didnt make it.