Why are ampules stil used?

Published

Does anyone know? We are working on med administration in nursing school right now, they sure don't seem safe. No one has hurt themselves on one yet but I've rad the stories here and wonder why they are still around.

I just hold them top up and do a quick little up and down flick to get all the med out of the top.

And you'll never cut your finger if you just pop it open with your teeth:smokin:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in L&D.

Add me to the list of people who have cut their finger on an ampule. I even had a glove finger (ripped off) wrapped around it and the darn thing slipped and cut my thumb. Not a big fan of ampules.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Here is another question along these same lines...

After drawing up the meds with the filter needle, do you have to change out the needle before injecting the meds into a 50cc bag?

I switch out the needle, but nurses that I work with have told me that it's safe not to; the filter mechanism supposedly keeps the glass from being injected out with the meds and into the bag.

Yes, you switch out the needle. What your nurses are telling you is wrong. Think of it this way.....when you are drawing up the medication, the filter is preventing the glass from getting into the syringe you are drawing it into. What remains in the needle has not gone through the filter. If you then stick that needle into a bag, you have a needle's length of medication that can have glass shards in it. When you switch out the needle, you are now only injecting out medication that has already been filtered. Make sense?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I hate ampules.

Our dilaudid comes in ampules, and of course we get alot of pancreatitus pts and boy they love that dilaudid.

I have cut myself once on ampules and we only recently got the filtered needles. I am strongly pushing that we get dilaudid in the vials.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Acute Care.
I hate ampules.

Our dilaudid comes in ampules, and of course we get alot of pancreatitus pts and boy they love that dilaudid.

I have cut myself once on ampules and we only recently got the filtered needles. I am strongly pushing that we get dilaudid in the vials.

(man this thread is OLD).

You JUST got filtered needles? What were you using to draw up the stuff from ampules?! :eek:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med-Surg.

Another reason why ampules are desired.....

Liquid meds that are light sensitive are easily stored in dark, amber colored glass amps.

Filter needles were unheard of back in my old school days, but they are now the current standard of practice. We nurses must all stay current in our practice and base our care on current, evidence based, best practices. Shame on any facility that doesn't support their nurses on this.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

a regular needle

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER.

I have a tiny shard of glass that has resided in my thumb for years, after breaking open an ampule of terbutaline, and having the top shatter. This was back in my EMS days, and the batch wasn't scored well. Never did get that little sucker out, and to this day, if I press down on my thumb just right I can still feel it in there.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Did the job hop, now in MS. Not Bad!!!!!.

Old post and yup, still using the lil sharp shooters. I dred having to pop one every time. And there are some shifts where I have serious pain seekers that are allowed a mg of dilaudid q 1h!!!! Then there's the "cyclical vomiting syndrome" drug seeker who gets his 4 mg q 1-2h!!! ugh. and he's a frequent flyer! Yup, have plenty of those lil shards having me run for the sink and soap w/ each dose. And afraid of getting pulled over driving home late at night if I swerve!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Psychiatric Nursing.

I hate the little buggers!!!! Always seems like at least one of the emergency IM drugs I have to give is coming out of an ampule and all the sudden I am looking for the filters and straws to draw up with, that is if someone had stocked them the previous week :o. if ampules became extinct I might even be tempted to do a .

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Acute Care.

Where can I get one of these ampule breaker thingies people keep mentioning?

I want one.

Our dilaudid got switched to ampules to save some money. Had one of those 4mg q 1hr fliers last week. Absolute freaking nightmare. :(

And of course, 1 or 2 nurses are now going to the ED each week to get various fingers stitched. Great move, guys!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion