Rituxan Spill... IV disconnected from patient

iluvivt, BSN, RN · Aug 20, 2010

Did you bring in your spill kit.....that is what you should have done...generally 5 ml or less is considered a small spill. Your spill kit has very specific instructions on what to do. At this point you need to call employee health . There are many new products on the market that will actually prevent a disconnection like this...it is sent out by pharmacy...Phaseal has an entire product line...its about time nurses start shouting about minimizing or eliminate the risks of chemical exposure in the workplace

nursetmj · Oct 28, 2010

I work in an outpatient Onc clinic and we give Rituxan quite regularly (whether it be rapid or long). It's a monoclonal antibody, so it's not as....what's the word I'm looking for? Destructive (??) as a true chemo. Also, we don't ever wear masks....this has never even been mentioned? You should be fine as long as you used a spill kit, followed the instructions and wore chemo-grade gloves. Your spill happened a few months ago I see -- how did everything turn out?

globalRN · Sep 12, 2011

that is right

Rituxan is technically not chemotherapy it is a targeted biological tx, a monoclonal antibody

targets cells: CD20

I would worry that the patient didnt get his full dose

brissygal, BSN, RN · May 12, 2013

I also wonder about infection control. If a IV is disconnected even with chemo, surely you can't just hook it up to patient and soldier on. What are your thought on this?

globalRN · Oct 6, 2015

Agree....tubing needs changing for sure. Usually, chemotherapy tubing is luer locked or luer locked and taped to prevent unintended disconnection.