Power point mediport

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

Thanks, everyone for the responses.