Are there any outpatient areas who send patients home with a hep or saline locks that require short term IV therapy(ABX or solumedrol) for less than 3to 5 days? Or do you DC lock after every visit then restart the lock the next day? I need rational/standards for this.
While I can not give you specific names of agencies that do this, I am certain that there are such patients going home for a few days with a locked peripheral catheter. The standards of practice are written by the Infusion Nurses Society and apply to all situations and setting where infusion therapy is performed. So that is your source of the standards. Lynn
Lynn Hadaway, M.Ed., RN, CRNI
Lynn Hadaway Associates, Inc.
PO Box 10
Milner, GA 30257
Website http://www.hadawayassociates.com
Office Phone 770-358-7861
I would prefer the pt be sent home with a PIV if home care is going to be using it because not all of our nurses are proficient at starting them. Just me:)
Valorie Dunn,BSN, RN, CRNI, PLNC