To Filter or Not to Filter

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our unit has been having a lot of problems lately with our lipids reading occlusion. :uhoh21: we still filter our lipids, but i am curious as to how many other units still do?:rolleyes:

We only filter TPN's, not IL's.

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Specializes in midwifery, NICU.

Nope, we dont filter lipids either, TPN, we do.

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We only filter TPN and clear fluids. Meds & lipids are hooked up below the filter.

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Specializes in CICU.

Don't filter lipids here, at least not on purpose....

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Specializes in NICU, Med/Surg.

Our lipids are mixed in the TPN and we don´t use a filter. The only thing we filter here are blood products.

Anna

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Specializes in NICU.

We filter lipids and TPN.

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Specializes in NICU.

We never filter lipids.

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Specializes in NICU- now learning OR!.

We filter all TPN. Our lipids are mixed in with the TPN and not seperate, so there is a different filter for TPN with lipids or without.

Jenny

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Specializes in Level II & III NICU, Mother-Baby Unit.

At all the NICUs I've worked in we never filtered the lipids. The hyperal fluids are hung through a buretrol with tubing which has a filter on the line below the buretrol; the lipids are piggybacked into a port below the filter. I

Just to add my 2 cents, it is my understanding that: Hyperal + lipids = TPN (total parenteral nutrition); someone please correct me if this is wrong. Thanks!

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our unit has been having a lot of problems lately with our lipids reading occlusion. :uhoh21: we still filter our lipids, but i am curious as to how many other units still do?:rolleyes:

16 years in nursing and i never filtered lipids...

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Specializes in CDI Supervisor; Formerly NICU.
We don't filter IL...they are plugged into the line below the filter.
This.
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Specializes in NICU.

Wow, this is so interesting! Lol, we still filter our lipids...::cricket::cricket:: We generally use two filters: 1) a dextrose/TPN filter used first for all dextrose solutions, and 2) a TPN/IL filter below to filter both the TPN and lipids (bi-fused into the filter).

Using this set-up, you WILL get an occlusion if you allow too much lipid at one time to pass through the filter. If this happens, the filter is toast and you have to break into your line. The key is to only prime your lipids to the beginning of the TPN/lipid filter, clamp the lipids, then allow the TPN to carry a tiny bit of the lipids through the filter (the TPN going through the filter will usually become milky). Only unclamp your lipids once you get everything on the pumps.

I am very intrigued about this no filtering of the lipids.

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