Sorry I am posting as a new topic, but apparently I am not smart enough to figure out how to reply.
The infusers that the chemo department use look like a baby bottle with a balloon inside. The balloon is filled with the chemo drug, then it slowly gtts at either a 5ml/hr or 1.5ml/hr rate. The tubing is preconnected to the infuser bottle, and does have a luer lock tip. The bottles are manufactured by Baxter.
We had the rep in today, and he is taking this issue to his research department. Interestingly the nurses from the chemo area also report that the Max Plus cap has come off where it was connected to the gripper huber needle extension from the port-a-cath access, when connected to the infuser bottles. We use the same time of gripper needle for inpatients and have had no report of this.
This occured on very ambulatory pts in the home setting, so is concerning. We are using another type of needless injection cap for these pts until it is resolved..Â
I would strongly recommend changing the elastomeric drug delivery system to one that can provide a luer locking device on the end. This is the standard of practice for all types of catheters. I am actually surprised that Baxter makes one with only a luer slip tubing. I would focus on this rather than the needleless connector. That is the bigger issue to me.
Lynn Hadaway, M.Ed., RN, BC, CRNI
www.hadawayassociates.com
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