So, quickly, a history of what has brought this topic about-
I'm in clinicals, and I made the egregious misake of asking my instructor this question:
"WHY DO THEY HANG LIPIDS SEPARATELY FROM ELECTROLYTES IN TPN??"
I was told to look it up, found no satisfactory answer and had nothing to present in post-conference. Due to that bit of insubordination (???), I now have a 2 page paper due TOMORROW, and have yet to nail a black and white answer. I will truly appreciate any help I can get. I am terrified that I will not have this done.... Please share any and all information that you guys have.
Wow, your nursing instructors sound like mine. I am a nursing student as well. I have a question about TPN too. Do you have to dispose of a bag of TPN if the lipids have seperated from the rest of the solution? It is on my test study guide about TPN but my teacher didn't go over it in class and I can't find the answer in my book. The hospital pharmacist just said it doesn't happen because they mix the TPN just hours before it gets hung. He also said that sometimes it is hung together and sometimes not but said one way was not preferrered. It says in my text book that lipids require a 1.2 micron filter and solutions not containing lipids require a 0.22 micron filter. Do they ever prepare several bags of TPN in advance for a client to administer at home? If so, the bag would have time to seperate right?
I would be willing to BET that the clinical instructor had no idea either and couldnt answer the question. She had no idea so she pretended to know but required you to "research". How else could she escape not knowing.
I have researched online and came up with nothing. I tried. sorry. Im sure it has to do with hospital policy. I know our lipids have to be hung below the filter so that the lipids dont go thru it (it would clog it). With homehealth, there was a different type of filter and it was mixed together by the infusion company. So really, I dont think it matters. Ive seen it both ways. I think the main thing is filter size.
healthguru
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Wow, your nursing instructors sound like mine. I am a nursing student as well. I have a question about TPN too. Do you have to dispose of a bag of TPN if the lipids have seperated from the rest of the solution? It is on my test study guide about TPN but my teacher didn't go over it in class and I can't find the answer in my book. The hospital pharmacist just said it doesn't happen because they mix the TPN just hours before it gets hung. He also said that sometimes it is hung together and sometimes not but said one way was not preferrered. It says in my text book that lipids require a 1.2 micron filter and solutions not containing lipids require a 0.22 micron filter. Do they ever prepare several bags of TPN in advance for a client to administer at home? If so, the bag would have time to seperate right?