Backpriming is an acceptable practice as long as the primary fluids are compatibile with the secondary medication(s). In fact, this practice allows you to follow the INS standards of practice more closely with reduced costs. Primary and secondary sets that remain connected together can be used for at least 72 hours. When you are connecting and disconnecting multiple secondary sets, this makes them an intermittent set that should be changed every 24 hours.
The use of infusion pumps is dependent upon many factors. Many hospitals have chosen to put all patients on an infusion pump to greatly reduce the risk of fluid overload and to ensure correct infusion rates while saving nursing time. But if you do not have the budget to purchase or lease enough pumps for all patients, you must prioritize those patients in greater need of pumps for safety reasons. This usually includes those with a history of renal or cardiac failure, on stick I&O, receiving parenteral nutrition, with any type of CVC and those receiving a medications that are on a list established by each hospital including heparin, chemo, narcotics, insulin, certain amounts of KCl, aminophylline, etc. But there is no national standard that every patient be placed on an infusion pump. Lynn
Backpriming is an acceptable practice as long as the primary fluids are compatibile with the secondary medication(s). In fact, this practice allows you to follow the INS standards of practice more closely with reduced costs. Primary and secondary sets that remain connected together can be used for at least 72 hours. When you are connecting and disconnecting multiple secondary sets, this makes them an intermittent set that should be changed every 24 hours.
The use of infusion pumps is dependent upon many factors. Many hospitals have chosen to put all patients on an infusion pump to greatly reduce the risk of fluid overload and to ensure correct infusion rates while saving nursing time. But if you do not have the budget to purchase or lease enough pumps for all patients, you must prioritize those patients in greater need of pumps for safety reasons. This usually includes those with a history of renal or cardiac failure, on stick I&O, receiving parenteral nutrition, with any type of CVC and those receiving a medications that are on a list established by each hospital including heparin, chemo, narcotics, insulin, certain amounts of KCl, aminophylline, etc. But there is no national standard that every patient be placed on an infusion pump. 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