We would like to know how people are capping the IV Tubing in between uses. What are you putting on the end of the tubing? We are not asking how ofter to change the tubing but what you cap it with between doses. ie - using the tubing for every 6 hours x 24 hours.
 Thank you
we use prefilled saline syringes, and use the caps from the syringe to cap off the tubing AS LONG AS IT MAINTAINS STERILITY
Numerous companies make sterile end caps in a variety of colors. B Braun is one that comes to mind quickly but I am sure there are others. I have seen them in red, while and blue packaged separately.
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
B/BRAUN has a red cap that has both a male and female end, so you could use it to cap either IV tubimg or the catheter hub. It is esily visible and very easy to use, plus it is quite cheap.
Looking at the package: " 1 Red Cap R2000" then it says "8B 28 D18101 B/BRAUN"
Call your B.Braun rep, they should show you a range of products.
I don't know the manufacturer of the end caps that we have, but it includes a male and female cap blue and white. (They are cheap and available for the nurses) We treat any tubing that has been looped onto itself as contaminated. We are consistently teaching this. If we find one like that, we twist it off and let the end of the tubing hit the floor and leave it. Clearly a contaminated tubing and communicate that to the nurse. We are seeing less and less of this practice.
Gwen Irwin
Austin, Texas
We have been told to use a blunt cannula (a blunt #18 needle). They are packaged sterile just as our needles are. The endcap is removed and the tubing screwed into it and left. The cap for the "needle" is left on.
I don't know that there is a precedent for this, but what our Infection Control nurse has told us to do.
Patrick Cassidy, RNBloomington Hospital of Orange CountyPatrick Cassidy, RN
Infusion Therapy
IU Healthcare Paoli Hospital
This is what is stated in the INS standards. For those using a blunt cannula, put a new one on at the end of the infusion. If not using a blunt cannula, put a new sterile dead end cap on the tubing.
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