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deedee
burning around tunnled port

today we had a pt who c/o burning when the chem drug navelbine was infused which is a vesicant and there is positive blood return noted The pt had a dye study done w/no fractures or problems noted from the catheter the md insist its ok to use but as an infusion nurse for many years I have never had this happen to me and know it is a red flag does anyone out there have this happen to them

dolores rn

lynncrni
Where did the patient feel

Where did the patient feel this burning in relation to where the catheter was located? What type of catheter - tunneled or implanted port. When you flush with saline only what does the patient feel and where? How long has the catheter been in place? 

 As a patient advocate, you must go by your experience and knowledge and you can not be forced to do anything that does not feel correct to you, regardless of what the doctors state. 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

deedee
Thank you for your response

Thank you for your response the patient felt the burning in her chest not at the insertion site but further out it is a tunnled port fairly new probably not over a month old she feels the burning with the saline flush ther is a positive blood return noted  but the way she described it made me really uncomfortable

thank you 

Dolores Tinker RN  

Dolores Tinker CRNI

lynncrni
I am not sure what you mean
I am not sure what you mean by a "tunneled port". Is this a tunneled and cuffed catheter with an external hub or is it a totally implanted port with a surgically created port pocket? Where is the catheter tip located? Was this a left or right side insertion? If inserted from the left, the catheter tip could be abutting the vein wall on the right side. 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

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