I understand outpatient oncology centers do not use sterile technique when accessing ports and furthermore they leave the port accessed to see the provider, in another part of the building with no TSM, no injection cal. The port tubing has a syringe attached, the c clamp is crimped and a piece of tape secures the needle stage to the skin. Any comments?
This practice is below the standard of care as established by the Infusion Therapy Standards of Practice from INS. Two issues here - A sterile dressing is the standard "if the port remains accessed." I would say that what you are describing means it is remaining accessed and is not accessed, used, and immediately deaccessed all while a clinician is monitoring the patient. Secnd is aseptic technique for access including sterile gloves and a mask. INS SOP states these are necessary but this is a Level V, Committee Consensus recommendation since there is actually no studies to support clean vs aseptic. I know, after ~30 years of ports being used, we have not yet answered this question with reseaerch - shameful IMHO 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
Wow . . . on several levels. Our outpt area does sterile port access with mask, sterile gloves, sterile saline flush syringes, application of sterile dressing for anything other than port flush or blood draw. Seems to be safety and infection issues with what you described. Cap the needle access AND put a sterile dressing on it!