What is NS NOT compatible with?

I was pondering what normal saline is not compatible with. Thanks.

I just took acls and they say to mix amio push 150mg with 7cc NS. however, the drip needs to be in D5W with a filter.

I think that is where some are getting confused here--- i.e. push vs admixture.

just to be clear, the meds listed here are basically that should not be reconstituted with NS, but we can still flush the line with NS protocol after?

EX. We give lots of Zyvox IV and always flush with NS. I have also seen people IVPB it with NS.

This is an awesome thread!

kenni said:
BTW dilantin & D5W big mistake! I've been told it causes the veins to turn a shade of purple, but it eventually goes away.

It doesn't always go away, in it's extreme form it is called "purple glove syndrome". I have seen this happen to a patient, I was not the one who gave the dilantin, I "inherited" the problem. Dilantin was given in a peripheral IV in the hand of the patient. When I went in to do my assessment the entire hand was 4 times the size of the other, dark purple and there were cracks in the skin at the knuckles. I immediately called the MD who told me what it was and that the only thing I could do was gently wrap the hand in warm moist towels and pray.

What happens is the purple color is tissue death, necrosis. In this patient's case the swelling started to go down with lots of TLC and keeping the hand warm and moist.

Had I not had such a resource, the patient's hand would have continued to crack at the knuckles until the fingers started to slough, amputation is usually the next coorifice.

I never, ever want to see this again. I never push Dilantin undiluted, I always mix in a 50 cc bag and run it slow and then flush with 20-30cc NS after the infusion. To date I have not had any problems giving it this way, and I absolutely refuse to give it in the hand.

Specializes in Psych.

So interesting. I learn so much from this site.

Specializes in ER.
Sodium Bicarbonate-always mix that with D5W.

We have standing orders in the ED to give 50 meq of Sod Bicarb in 0.45% NS

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