We have recently started seeing a slight rise in power port-a-caths. In order to to iject for a MRI or CT using the power infuser--special needle/tubing has to be used. There are some identifying "bumps" that can be felt at the site that suggest if it is a power/port--and the patient should have some literature to indicate it is a power/port. I guess I'm just a little leary about accessing these ports without a scout scan to prove it is power injectable. Radiology says they are having to deaccess/reaccess more and more of these ports to do these scans.  What if -heaven forbid- we access a port with this special tubing and it's not power injectable--- and it gets power injected????? My behind!!! Would you say??? What is everyone else doing?? Does anyone have a protocol for this?? Am I being to much a scardy cat??
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
We access Power Ports. We are required to identify the ports by two identifiers.
These are ways they can be identified: 1. Record sticker on chart
2. 3 bumps on surface of port in a triangle shape
3. Port itself is triangular shaped
4. Patient carried ID: purple rubber ID bracelet
ID card
Key ring
5. By X-Ray
Our interventional radiologists are putting in ONLY power ports, so we've seen a lot of them. In my experience, it's very easy to tell the difference between a power port and a "non-power" port by palpation. The power port has a definite triangular shape and three papable points in a triangular shape. The port is accessed in the middle of these three points(or bumps). With Bard power ports(the brand we use), there is a sticker with the "powerloc" (the non-coring needle used for port access)that is to be placed on the powerloc tubing by the nurse who does the accessing-verifying that this is a power port, a power loc, and that blood return was obtained, and the port was easily flushed.
I believe that the catheter and the port/catheter connection is reinforced as is the powerloc tubing.
Just after insertion, when swelling is a problem, the port is more difficult to palpate, but the patients have an arm band and an ID card and the op report. We've also asked the IR nurse to access the port before the patient leaves IR, or raise the HOB to at least 45 deg. and place a cold pack over the op site to decrease swelling until the patient gets to the floor.
Tanya
T. Nauman RN, CRNI