On this day, we commemorate all living and deceased veterans who heeded the call of duty. That would include those missing in action, our wounded warriors, former prisoners of war and millions of veterans who have served both in war and peace. By honoring our veterans, we show gratitude for their devotion to human dignity and freedom.…
On a recent flight home, I had a very interesting conversation with the lady sitting next to me. This delightful woman happened to be a breast cancer patient currently on chemotherapy. When she found out I am an infusion nurse, she immediately showed me her “implanted port” , which is located on the inner aspect of…
On October 1, 2015, one of the biggest events that hit healthcare data in decades was the conversion of coded clinical data to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems: Tenth Revision, commonly referred to as ICD-10. Q: What happened to ICD 9? A:In 1983, Medicare implemented ICD-9 as part of the…
A multi-specialty panel led by Vineet Chopra, MD, of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, has designed a best practices guide for the “insertion, care, and management” of peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs). The 15-member panel included physicians and nurses from multiple specialties, including pharmacy. A patient was also invited to contribute to panel discussions. Multiple…
BETTER THAN YOU!!! I’m talking about best practices related to syringes, needles and injection safety, that nurses and other healthcare providers should know and follow. Even with the CDC’s initiative “One and Only Campaign”, unsafe injection practices prevails in the US!!! What a shame! If you are reading this and you have no idea what…
At every INS Annual Meeting, the exhibit hall is the one of the highlights of the week. I am very grateful to all the vendors who were there and were always willing to educate us on their products. This helps us contribute greatly to patient care and safety. As I always do, here’s my disclaimer…
MAY is a great month and there’s lots to celebrate…here are a few reasons. 1. May 4th – unless you have been in another galaxy, this humdrum Monday is in fact May the Fourth, a.k.a. Star Wars Day, Yes, even if you’re not a huge Star Wars fan, it is a big celebration day. The date was…
Nearly 53 million outpatient procedures are performed annually in the United States. While most of these procedures occur in hospital outpatient departments, a growing number are being done in nonhospital-based facilities such as ambulatory surgery centers and physician offices. One of these procedures include infusion therapy, the administration of fluids and medications via the venous…
A year ago, there was a shortage of large volume (1000mL) IV solutions that included 0.9% NaCL and other IV fluids. Read my blog post here. This year isn’t any better. A new set of issues related to IV saline solution and other IV fluids have surfaced. 1. Simulated Saline IV fluids were mistakenly given…
Q: A patient gets daily IV antibiotic infusion at home. The antibiotic is mixed in a 50mL 0.9% Sodium Chloride minibag by pharmacy. The home care nurse administers the infusion via gravity drip using a macrodrip primary tubing via the patient’s PIV lock. When the IVPB bag is completely empty, the nurse stops the infusion, disconnects…
Infusion Nurse Blog 