Our city wide radiology service began placing the BARD Apherisis Powerflow port. The previous rep for company trained another hospital VAT that if the catheter is being accessed for other than apherisis then the access needle does not need to be a 14 or 16 ga, you can use a 20 ga. but it must be at least 1.75 inches long. The company states the IFU is for only 14 or 16 ga. for access.
Does anyone else have these catheters? Are you accessing with a smaller ga catheter for fluids, abx? Or only with a 14 or 16 ga?
Pt needs IVIG every 3 weeks. Wondering if we should use the Powerflow or start a PIV? Hate to have to access with 14 or 16ga into chest as apposed to just starting a 22ga in the f/a.
This is labeled as an apheresis catheter and the IFU states the size of the access needle for that procedure. There is no reason why you cannot and should not be accessing this with a smaller needle when the high flow rates of apheresis are not needed. By all means use this port and do not waste peirpheral veins for the IVIG when this port is available.
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
I could just kiss you Lynn!!! Ha ha! I agree and waiting to hear your take on this with baited breath! Thank you!