Swan questions

[kesmith2314]

I have a few question to ask about swan standards in your ICU's. In the ICU that I work we are considering a few changes in our policies.

When you have a swaned patient how frequent do you obtain a wedge when the patient is stable?

Do you use saline or heparinized saline for the flush system with your pressure line?

Any input would would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Karen

[Zee_RN, BSN, RN]

Our POLICY is every 2 hours in my med-surg/cardiac ICU. I really hate that. Esp. if the swan is three, four, five days old!! What's the point?! And with the increased risk! And the poor patient...our policy is do readings in supine position so every 2 hours, for days, this patient is flattened out, rezero'd, wedged, graphed, and repositioned and rezero'd again. Interrupting tube feeds, sleep, etc. And they wonder why ICU patients don't get any rest! If I'm working nights and I have a SG, I only wedge it every 4 hours and to heck with policy. And I still think that is a lot if the SG has been in for awhile. Our docs seem so reluctant to pull them!