I am interested in locating indiviudals/institutions that have extended (or may be considering) the max hang time for intermittent IV tubing from 24 to 72 hours. Have you implemented this change and if so, have you measured or been able to correlate any changes in CABSI with this change? Please email me off the list at [email protected]. No need to re-state INS position on this issue. I am investigating - at a very preliminary point - Â how actual practice MAY be challenging this non evidence based recommendation.
Marilyn Hanchett RN
Marilyn,
We are just the opposite. As you said "no research" we moved from 96 hours for our intermittent tubing to 24. We also implemented several other strategies to reduce our CR-BSI rate. So with implementing "many things" it really is hard to say what has caused our rate reduction. We continue to maintain continuous tubing for 96 hours.
We also just changed our intermittent tubing to every 24 hours. Our continuous is still 96.
Marilyn,
As you consider this change for CRBSI reasons consider this:
Many of the medications that we are infusing now have a limited stability. I recomend consuting your pharmacy about which drugs have short stability and may need a tubing change more frequent for that reason.
Good luck
Craig
Craig Farris RN, CRNI
Clinical Nurse liaison