Picc Line And Ampho B

[erbs971]

hello!

just need a comment on this topic. i happened to be preceptoring a newly graduate rn on a medsurg floor. one of my co worker happens to have a piccline draw for the morning and since we dont have any picc line draw on our group, I happened to pick

her patient. this patient has a double lumen picc line and has iv fluids running. we stopped the infusion for 5 minutes and flushed the line with with 5 cc Normal saline and discard 8 cc of blood ,

and draw the blood needed for am labs, we flushed the line again with 8 cc of normal saline (in our facility we dont used heparin) and connect the tubing back to the port. Our coworker

started yelling at us coz we used normal saline with ampho b running on the site. IS this going to be a problem ? shes freaking out and running her mouth off for not thinking that saline doesnt go with AMPHO B. any comment will be appreciated...

thanks!

[frannybee]

I thought it had to be 5% dex, incompatible with N/S. Could be wrong though, I've only given it a couple of times.

Do a Google search for the product info and compatibilities, should tell you what you need to know.

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

Ampho B is not compatible with NS.

Common procedure in many places is to flush line (if Ampho B hanging) w/D5W - then flush w/NS - draw waste - draw blood - flush with NS - and before hanging Ampho B - flush with D5W.

As to whether any measureable damage occurred is debatable. I have come on shift to find Ampho hanging on a NS line - with no observable precipitate. But it is poor practice.

Does your Pharmacy mark the drug with a warning regarding incompatibility and attach D5W flush - It should.

[rachel h, BSN, RN]

It's supposed to be only compatible with D5W, but I wouldn't have a bird about it. And I agree with Caroladybelle... pharmacy should attach a warning; ours doesn't : (....

[renerian, BSN, RN]

Carol we did like you described on our ampho b flushes.

renerian