epappyRN

The exact way that I do this is..... The TPN runs thru the medial port (triple lumen)... It is time to change the tpn anyways so I just clamp port and discard tpn. I then flush medial port with 10 ml of ns. I go ahead and flush each of the 2 unused ports with 10 ml of ns each. I then go ahead and do my dressing change, visit etc. About 20 minutes later I waste 10 ml from the distal port then draw my blood. Pt is not recieving any other fluids... I would understand the glucose being messed up... but the H&H?? I have done this hundreds of times with central lines... I just was not sure if a picc line would be different?? His hgb was 7 last wed, saw md on Fri ... 11 on Monday and 5 today?!?!

The exact way that I do this is..... The TPN runs thru the medial port (triple lumen)... It is time to change the tpn anyways so I just clamp port and discard tpn. I then flush medial port with 10 ml of ns. I go ahead and flush each of the 2 unused ports with 10 ml of ns each. I then go ahead and do my dressing change, visit etc. About 20 minutes later I waste 10 ml from the distal port then draw my blood. Pt is not recieving any other fluids... I would understand the glucose being messed up... but the H&H?? I have done this hundreds of times with central lines... I just was not sure if a picc line would be different??

I need help- I am a new nurse and have only worked in Critical Care- Now I am doing home health and I am not familiar with Picc lines. If there is a triple lumen picc line that a pt is recieving TPN if you flush the line and wait... and use a different port ... could it mess up lab values... The only value that has been off is H&H.... help... the man has 0 veins to stick