Power point mediport

[Mich0482]

I was wondering if you have to use specific power port needles to access these power ports or can you use a regular huber needle?

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

google it......

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_(medical)

[Daliadreamer]

You can use a regular huber needle to access the port, but if the patient is to have any kind of CT scan, DO NOT USE IT. A power port needle is specifially made to withstand the pressure used to inject the CT dye. If the dye were to be injected into a huber needle, that needle would break inside the port.

So 'yes', you can access a powerport with a huber needle, but 'no' if there is a chance that the patient will have a CT scan.

[miss81, BSN, RN]

You can use a regular huber needle to access the port, but if the patient is to have any kind of CT scan, DO NOT USE IT. A power port needle is specifially made to withstand the pressure used to inject the CT dye. If the dye were to be injected into a huber needle, that needle would break inside the port.

So 'yes', you can access a powerport with a huber needle, but 'no' if there is a chance that the patient will have a CT scan.

We actually had a pt go for a CT with a "normal" non-coring port-a-cath needle and it "blew" out for the port. In my area the power port is purple, the plastic part of the needle is purple and the pt wears a purple bracelet or purple key chain. Kind of a fail safe to ensure that we don't send a pt without a power port needle for a CT. That being said we have used "normal" non-coring needles for fluids as long as we are sure they will not need a CT.

[iluvivt, BSN, RN]

You sure can access access a power port with a regular non-coring huber needle but YOU Can not use it for a power injection then. So..to power inject through a venous acess port it MUST be a Power port and must be accessed with a special non-coring needle that can withstand the pressure. If you are talking about BARDs product the needle we use is called a power loc. The nurse must also verify that it is a power port and use and document 2 identifiers out of 4 possible. To be safe what I do is just access all power ports with a power loc needle and all regular ports with a regular non-coring needle. The tech and/or RN in radiology should also check for a brisk blood return and can verify the port placement from the scout scan. The problem is usually with the tubing on regular non-coring needles ..that is what can rupture and of course the actual catheter component of the port can rupture if it is not rated for power injection

[Mich0482]

Thanks, everyone for the responses.