I definately advocate that practice and teach the nurses to prime the needleless connectors before attatching them to any line but I do not specify it in our P&P. I probably should. Valorie
Yes, yes, yes!! The priming volume for each brand of needleless connector is different. Even a small amount of air can lead to problems over time as there is now information about what microbubbles will do inside the body. The small bubble attracts WBCs and platelets. It travels through the bloodstream until it reaches a small vessel where it occludes the blood flow. Most of the time this will be the pulmonary circulation and over time and with enough small bubbles, the patient could develop pulmonary hypertension. This is not the catastrophic event as an large venous air emboli, but there is damage nonetheless. Lynn
I definately advocate that practice and teach the nurses to prime the needleless connectors before attatching them to any line but I do not specify it in our P&P. I probably should. Valorie
Valorie Dunn,BSN, RN, CRNI, PLNC
Yes, yes, yes!! The priming volume for each brand of needleless connector is different. Even a small amount of air can lead to problems over time as there is now information about what microbubbles will do inside the body. The small bubble attracts WBCs and platelets. It travels through the bloodstream until it reaches a small vessel where it occludes the blood flow. Most of the time this will be the pulmonary circulation and over time and with enough small bubbles, the patient could develop pulmonary hypertension. This is not the catastrophic event as an large venous air emboli, but there is damage nonetheless. Lynn
Lynn Hadaway, M.Ed., RN, NPD-BC, CRNI
Lynn Hadaway Associates, Inc.
PO Box 10
Milner, GA 30257
Website http://www.hadawayassociates.com
Office Phone 770-358-7861