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Mixing a bottle of ceflex with non-specific instructions for adding '60mls of water and shake mixture' It's an organic psychy placement in UK. They dont have any other procedure files relating to mixing meds. Unable to access anything on KA24 as yet but still surfing. Nothing on general www except for IV recon advice. Last resort is contact pharmacy as I felt nursing staff would be just as helpful. No clinical Lit covers this specific area in Ward Library for students. I'll post any info and reference documents I get so that others may benefit.

Thanks for all your help and sound advice. It confirms what I thought was correct but I will be checking with pharmacy as this Trust has no policy covering reconstitution. I also doesn't have a policy for the safe disposal of medication that has been dispensed but not used. I'll let you know what other short comings I find.

Thanks...I'll take that as 'sterile water is used to reconstitute 'bottles' of Cephelexin. And No the bottle 'just' says reconstitute using 60mls of water. What is the problem with you qualified staff? Can't give a straight answer to a straight and obvious question? It doesn't specify 'Sterile water' on the bottle. And no this is a psychy ward and there are not vials of sterile water stacked up any where...I would have noticed them. There are no procedure files that cover this problem! I thought it was obvious to ask rather than to make an error. I wonder how many errors have been made because senior nurses were too power mad to give obvious information, that needs to be shared, rather than boost thier own power base by with holding!

This was for oral suspension. The bottles in the stock cupboards all just say water. Obviously I would have gathered that IM water was the sterile water in ampuoles for injections. It was out of hours for pharmacy otherwise I would have called them as my first line of defence! So does anyone know if I should be using sterile or tap water?

I work in Kent, England. Our wages for qualified/registered nurses starts at around £15K and rises to £23k for an experienced nurse. That's basic, we get enhancements for shift work. I work 30 hours a week over four days, covering some weekends. My gross for this year will be about £20K. Thats Ok for supporting a small family as sole provider! I believe we are worth more though!

Can anyone advise me? When reconstituting cephelexin ( or any powder antibiotic) using WATER, does it mean ordinary tap water, sterilised or what? I'm a first year student getting real grief for just asking the staff nurse on my current placement! Please help!! :imbar

Your prob was way over my head. Three months into training and the Staff Nurse on my current ward was so unhelpful yesterday when I ask what type of water I should use to reconstitute a bottle of cephelexin that she refused to just advise me and insists that I should know the answer by my next shift! Help!:imbar