2 questions relating to antibiotics Help please

HeartsOpenWide, RN · Oct 20, 2005

i am a nursing student and i have these two questions about antibiotics for an assignment i have. i understand the fundamentals but everything i read and try to decipher doesnt come out right when i put pen to paper.
these questions are related to a total hip repalcement.
why are patients undergoing major joint surgery ordered iv antibiotics to go with them to theatre?

what should be checked before antibiotics are given to a patient?

thanks for all help given

cheers

1-to prevent infection

2-check for medication allergies

papawjohn · Oct 20, 2005

Hey Milenko

Since you call the Operating Room a "theater" I s'pose you're (as we'd say in the appalachian part of Tennessee) "not from 'round hyar." So I might not have the answer that your instructors are looking for, bein' an unrepentent southern boy.

But get this picture, OK? The antibiotic goes into the Pt's bloodstream in Pre-Op. He gets to surgery and despite the best efforts of everyone his insides are exposed to pathogens. And he bleeds. Now, what is in the blood? Antibiotics.

What do you check? Like HeartsWideOpen says, allergy. And the Dr's order.

Good Luck to ya

Papaw John

PamRNC · Oct 20, 2005

What should you check?

* Does the medication match the order?

* Does the patient's name/ID band match the name on the MAR/label for the antibiotic (Abx) (assuming your IVPB bags are delivered pre-mixed and labeled with the patient's info)?

* Allergy history of course

* Did the patient receive any other doses of antibiotics, before this one? (It happened recently that pt was on standing Abx q6hr and also ordered for the same med as a pre-op)

TexasPediRN · Oct 20, 2005

What should you check?

The 5 rights of medication administration :)

1. Right drug

2. Right dose

3. Right patient

4. Right route

5 Right time

Like previously mentioned, you give antibiotics pre-op to prevent infection. Granted, the OR is a sterile environment but there are tons of bacteria everywhere, and you are giving them access to the open incision during transport, recovery, etc.

hrtprncss · Oct 20, 2005

Ehhmm quick question....Why's it called the ''theater''?

1Tulip · Oct 20, 2005

Ehhmm quick question....Why's it called the ''theater''?

Because... back a loooong time ago, operations were conducted, essentially, in a theater. There were tiers of seats around the table and students would actually watch the master surgeons at work.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong here... but I believe this practice continued at least up until about WWII. An old hospital at which I worked had a glass pane in the ceiling over the table and people would go to the floor above (which held an ICU) and lean over a rail and watch the operation through the glass.

Man, am I old or what.

StokoRN · Oct 20, 2005

Milenko

1st, let me say WELCOME to the profession. I'm always glad to see new enthused students & nurses around.

Antibiotics given imeadiatly pre op help to prevent infections. The skin is the 1st line of defense against infections and that barrier is compromised during any/all operations. Bone infections are paticularly difficult to treat and, as they say " an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure"

Five Rs. Right med

Right dose

Right route

Right patient

Right time

Also check patients medication allergies.

"Your flag decal won't get you into heaven anymore, it's already overcrowded from your dirty little war. Jesus don't like killin, no matter what's the reason for..." John Prine

The miracle is not that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.

hrtprncss · Oct 21, 2005

Ehhmm quick question....Why's it called the ''theater''?
Because... back a loooong time ago, operations were conducted, essentially, in a theater. There were tiers of seats around the table and students would actually watch the master surgeons at work.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong here... but I believe this practice continued at least up until about WWII. An old hospital at which I worked had a glass pane in the ceiling over the table and people would go to the floor above (which held an ICU) and lean over a rail and watch the operation through the glass.
Man, am I old or what.

Oh yes thank you for explaining, I've seen that before...though only in movies:( I think they had it on that dreadful gray's anatomy last last week also. Thank you!