Remicade Infusion Guidelines/experiences

[ssi9699]

Occasionally we transfuse Remicade, usually for arthritis or Crohn's in my new department. I tried to look up the policy on infusion when I discovered there isn't any. We make a big deal about these infusions; they have an appointment, are admitted as an outpatient, have one nurse assigned to them, and are infused with the same protocol (actually, more stringent) as far as VS and staying with the patient, as blood transfusion. This is all by word of mouth, of course. When I suggested maybe we need a protocol, so new staff like me have something to go by, they shrugged it off and said we could write protocols on everything we do, what would be the point? This is the ONLY med we treat like this, so it seems odd to me that we are just winging it. I'm willing to do some research and try to help develop some guidelines, so I'm asking anyone who infuses Remicade or who have received Remicade as a patient to share what the nursing staff does for the patient. I know it comes up mixed according to the patient's weight from pharmacy,and they have some special tubing they send up with it. The most I can glean from my internet searches is it should be infused in no less than 2 hours. Would love to hear from you!