3 questions here (Please answere any you can) :)

NIGHTWOLF87 · Mar 31, 2009

hello...

in answer to your first question, is the line a periperhal or central line? there shouldn't be any problems with putting the pump on hold. i am assuming that you are temporarily shutting it off to change the line? however, there is a risk of losing a central line if you shut down your iv fluids. that would cause a nurse to get into trouble.

to answer your second question, we use syringe pumps and iv pumps at the same time, all the time here in our unit (nicu) and other units (med/oncology) i have worked on. how else would you infuse your iv medications that have to be delivered over a certain period of time?

hope i've been of some help to you. good luck in nursing school. don't get discouraged and hang in there! :up:

azhiker96, BSN, RN · Mar 31, 2009

1). Sure, not really that different from an IV that's been saline locked but it may depend also on what fluid was running. I wouldn't want to do that with any fluid other than LR or NS.

2) I don't see a problem with this either. We have IV pumps that will accept up to 4 pump modules. You'd just want to either have multiple IV access or make sure your fluids/meds are compatible. For example, if you have blood running on a line you couldn't also run your D5 half NS with 20K into that line. You could run your Ancef with LR though. Always be sure the fluids are compatible and that the total flow rate is not more than IV can handle.

Texas Tornado · Mar 31, 2009

Are you talking about a patient that has a medication running through the IV? If so there are two concerns with turning it off. First depends on what the medication is. Some medications need to run continuously (ie Cardizem) and will cause a problem if stopped. But most can be stopped without a problem. Secondly if an IV runs dry (the medication in the bag is all gone and the IV is still connected to the empty bag), this puts the patient at risk for losing their IV access. Best thing to do is flush with normal saline until you can get the next bag up - if there is more to give.

I don't understand the discharge part. Is the patient being discharged to another unit or facility with their fluids running? If not - if you are planning on stopping fluids and taking out their IV then "get 'er done" - there are patients waiting in the ER who need the room!

twinmommy+2, ADN, BSN, MSN · Mar 31, 2009

There are patients who I would not want their iv line saline locked for any reason, such as they had brittle veins and it took umpteen sticks by every staff member to get that 24g in their left thumb then you can bet I'm not going to lock that thing. For most people and most fluids it can be saline locked for short periods without a problem.

We don't use the syringe pumps, but sounds like a good idea to have some.

CaLLaCoDe, BSN, RN · Mar 31, 2009

#1..I would lock the IV before shutting off the IVF, you don't want blood in the line! Possibly the supervisor seeing blood in the line was the concern. Actually I would probably detached the IV line rather than keep it hooked up, no reason to have it attached. So easy to flush the saline locked PIV and reattach the line later.

#2. Yes a Bard pump (a syringe pump) can infuse fluid at the same time a patient is receiving MIV fluid.

ChristineN, BSN, RN · Mar 31, 2009

We saline lock pts that have fluids ordered on my floor all the time so they can get in the shower. As long as the pt doesn't have very brittle veins, and is just getting routine maintainance fluids, I don't see the problem. I know I wouldn't want to be tied to that ball and chain all the time.

CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN · Apr 1, 2009

Hep or saline lock and flush per protocol. In LTC just about all of our pts with IVs are intermittent. They are flushed with each med given and or q shift to maintain the site. This is for peripheral, Picc or central lines.