Port Medication

[busybee04]

Hello,

I recently obtained a job where most of the patient have ports. I know its recommended that we use 10ml syringes when administering medications through ports, but is it also recommended to dilute all medications with 10cc of normal saline as well?

[cancer.sucks]

The reason for using a 10ml syringe to push medications through a portacath (or a PICC line for that matter) is because of the pressure caused by pushing a medication. The smaller the syringe the greater PSI that is provided with each push. There are many medications that are recommended to be diluted in 10ml of solution. However, just because a 10ml syringe is used doesn't mean it has to be full. If a medication is pushed that is not recommended to be diluted, it should still be pushed through a 10ml syringe even if the volume is only 2-3ml. Whatever the med, it is up to the RN to be aware of the recommendation regarding dilution of the medication.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

The volume of normal saline used to dilute a medication or whether or not to dilute medication AT ALL is dependent on the medication itself, not the type of IV access the patient has.

I've heard the 10 mL syringe only for PICCs but not for PACs. I push chemo from syringes smaller than 10 mL in pedi onc every day. Chemo does not get diluted by nurses or tampered with at all after it comes from the pharmacy. My patients are children. Often I'm pushing like 2 mL (or less) of methotrexate.

[busybee04]

Thank you both for responding. Thats what I thought, but wanted to double check