There is no doubt that several chemotherapeutic agents have vesicant properties, and when inadvertently infused into the surrounding tissue from an infiltrated IV, these agents may have the potential to cause blisters, severe tissue injury or necrosis, known as extravasation. The damage to the tissue can occur from direct contact with the vesicant medication, from…
I know the obvious answer is of course not. Nursing and medicine are two distinct professions. Even though nurses and physicians closely interact with each other, and have a few areas of overlapping responsibilities, they function in two distinct specialties, with their own evidence based practice guidelines. Ok, but what if in an area of…
The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) released an update to the 2004 sample list of hazardous drugs. The 2010 list supersedes the 2004 list and includes 21 additional drugs. According to ASHP [1990] the definition of hazardous drugs:1. Carcinogenicity 2. Teratogenicity or other developmental toxicity 3. Reproductive toxicity4. Organ toxicity at low…
“ 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…
A Class I recall is the most serious type of recall. In a Class I recall, there is a reasonable chance that the product will cause serious health problems or death. The FDA issued a Class I recall of the following huber needles: Multi-Med, Inc. 22 Gauge x 1 inch straight Huber needles Model 10600218,…
Unlike the “Forever” stamps from the US Post Office, we should not keep using multi-dose vials until the vial is empty. Multi-dose vials are to be discarded 28 days after first use, unless the manufacturer specifies otherwise (shorter or longer), according to the Joint Commission Medication Management Standards FAQ about multi-dose vials. So you say,…
I mean, my infusion nurse blog is a year old this month!!! Gosh, it’s hard to believe a year has gone by…it’s my first blog-o-versary!! My first blog was posted on August 18, a week after my blog site, infusion nurse blog was created. My goal was to share information about infusion therapy, vascular access,…
Last Friday, a patient scheduled to receive his chemotherapy walked into our infusion center with his wife, both wearing t-shirts with this printed on the front. I noticed but didn’t pay much attention until his treatment started. I was a bit slow on the uptake that morning and the patient was kind enough to explain…
…the devices that allow connections of infusion sets and catheter hubs. Unless you have been living under a rock, no one should be using needles to make that connection, thus the term…needleless connectors. In a previous blog, I posted about an FDA Alert on Positive Displacement Needleless Connectors . After I did, I realized that…
Yet another FDA Alert – this time on positive displacement needleless connectors – a device all nurses are very familiar with and use on a daily basis on patients requiring infusion therapy. The FDA has received three reports of death associated with BSI and positive displacement needleless connectors. Infection control authorities are also concerned about…
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