Several new treatment options for chronic illnesses have received FDA approval in the last few months. Among them are two biologic agents administered intravenously for chronic refractory gout in adults (September 2010) and the other is for Lupus, a serious autoimmune disorder (March 2011). Krystexxa (pegloticase) has been approved by the FDA for patients with…
Here are the results of the survey from a previous post “Take our survey: Standards of Practice”. Q1 Are you aware that there is a Standard of Practice for Infusion Nursing? n=75 Yes: 82.5% No: 17.65% Q2 If you are an RN, LPN or APN performing, administering, delivering IV/infusion therapy, do you think the…
On January 25, national IV nurse day, the Infusion Nurses Society (INS) announced the release of the revised 2011 Infusion Nursing Standards of Practice. This has been a long awaited document for infusion nurses and I am so happy to hear this news. So like a child on Christmas morning, I wait in great anticipation…
Over the years, I’ve noticed certain terms often misused and misunderstood by nurses which can lead to false assumptions, misinterpretations and yes, confusion. Here’s some of those terms: Standards of Care Standards of Practice Policies and Procedures Practice Guidelines Protocols Often I hear these terms used interchangeably. To help clear up the confusion, let’s define…
….a day to celebrate Christmas or that special holiday you’ve chosen to celebrate! Many people are off from work taking time to celebrate with loved ones, friends, and family. Many are working to keep us safe or away at war striving to protect our country. As a nurse, I have had my share of working…
“ we’re just like a filling station, they (patients) come here, we fill them up and let them go”!! This was the response from several RN’s working in a hospital based outpatient infusion center I recently visited where chemotherapy and biologic agents are administered to patients with oncologic and non-oncologic disorders, including patient’s with immune…
As with most drugs or medications, many nurses know them by their trade names only. Occasionally, we had to learn the generic names especially after the patent expires. I have been infusing biologic agents, monoclonal antibodies in particular for over 10 years now and learned that monoclonal antibodies have a standard nomenclature scheme developed by…
A common question I get asked by nurses is…..do I need to obtained an informed consent from a patient who is receiving infusions of biologic agents such as Remicade (Infliximab)? An informed consent, according to the American Medical Association (AMA), is the communication process between a patient and his or her physician that results in…
In the past 12 years, we have seen an increase in new monoclonal antibodies approved by the FDA for numerous indications as treatment options for cancer, neurologic disorders, immunologic, and autoimmune diseases, to name a few. These monoclonal antibodies are administered either subcutaneously, usually self administered by patients or administered intravenously by a registered nurse…
As an infusion nurse, I have given infusions to pregnant patients only for the treatment of hyperemesis gravidarum. The infusions were primarily liters of IV fluids with multivitamins or a modified version of total parenteral nutrition just enough to tide them over until most patients are able to eat and sustain adequate nutrition orally. Otherwise,…
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