Uses for Expired Bottles of Saline Irrigation

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

Every once in awhile, we'll have a few bottles of saline or SW that were kept in the warmers, but expired before being used, since they can only be kept in the warmers for X amount of days. The expired IV bags go to IV Therapy and HR for IV training, so we never have those left over. But the irrigation, no one's really found a use for. What do you do with your expired NS and SW irrigations? The SW people have used for their irons at home.

[TazziRN, RN]

I used to give it to my vet, who ran a spit-and-bubble-gum country practice. As long as it was within 4-6 months of expiration, she would still use it for irrigation.

[goats'r'us, ASN, RN]

a boy i used to work with would take the expired 3L SW irrigation bags that we used for bladder washouts, rig them into a backpack, spike them when the time was right with a 'borrowed' straight iv line and use them as drink flasks when he was bushwalking.

[TazziRN, RN]

a boy i used to work with would take the expired 3L SW irrigation bags that we used for bladder washouts rig them into a backpack, spike them when the time was right with a 'borrowed' straight iv line and use them as drink flasks when he was bushwalking.[/quote']

Er......he drank NS? Or drained it out first?

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

I think Goats said SW.

[TazziRN, RN]

I think Goats said SW.

Ah....you're right, thanks!

[NotReady4PrimeTime, RN]

They also make great ice packs for coolers. The bags will stretch just enough in the freezer, especially if you pull off a little bit... and you can freeze them in such a way as to conform to whatever you want kept cold by pulling off a bit more then wrapping it around something similar in the freezer. With the bottles, you have to crack 'em and dump out a bit or the tops blow off. They also have a tendancy to leak as they defrost. But if you put them upright in the corners of your cooler and it stays level the whole time, no problemo. Or you can just deal with soggy stuff.

[lsyorke, RN]

Sterile water... Toomey syringe!!! Water fights!!

[barb4575]

Hi Marie,

Have you thought of donating them to a nearby nursing school? Equipment and supplies for skills laboratories are extremely expensive and any donations would be much appreciated by the nurse educators.

Barbara

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

The nursing schools said they have plenty, which surprised us (they did take IV bags of saline though).

[ragingmomster, BSN, MSN, RN]

We recently sent over 300 expired sutures to the Dominican Republic with RN's and MD's who were going on a missions trip. Wonder if they could have taken the expired fluids too?

[P_RN, ADN, RN]

You need to ask before sending expired stuff, but what America trashes is pure platinum in the eyes of the 3rd world. We had a doc who would take used ortho prostheses, syringe boxes, gause etc. whatever he could fit in his packing when he returned to Africa to see his family.