Setting up A-lines in advance

[Bwick]

Our anesthesia department wants to have and IV via the hotline, an arterial line set up and the rapid infuser set up - meaning everything spiked and ready at all times. We are not that big of a hospital. There will be many times where this stuff is not used for days.

What do you do in your facilities - how long do you leave these IV's set up?

Thanks for your help

Sue

[shodobe]

We never set-up and leave a-lines and such sitting around for dyas. If we set one up for a case and do not use it, we will toss it the next day. it shouldn't take anyone more than 5 minutes to set up an a-line and the same for a hotline. I personally can do both in less than 5 minutes. Do you do that much heavy cases to warrant having this stuff set-up ready to go or is your anesthesia dept people not wanting to wait for it to be put together? I set-up these lines maybe once or twice a month, so I see no reason to have this hanging going to waste. Even the one place I work PT at does hearts and they never have this stuff just sitting around collecting dust, only made up when needed.

[mwbeah]

Our anesthesia department wants to have and IV via the hotline, an arterial line set up and the rapid infuser set up - meaning everything spiked and ready at all times. We are not that big of a hospital. There will be many times where this stuff is not used for days.

What do you do in your facilities - how long do you leave these IV's set up?

Thanks for your help

Sue

As a CRNA, that sounds pretty unnecessary to me. I agree with shodobe, use it when you need it. Its pretty standard that after 24 hours it should be discarded.

Mike

[carcha]

Yeah, some people I work with do the same, set the lines up in advance. I personally never do, its a waste of time and as someone already said only takes a few minutes. I know our lines a discarded after 24 hours, so their always dated and timed.