In response to a question from a former ER nurse who now works for a physician office providing infusion services, I came upon this guide from the CDC. The question is why should infection control practices in a physician’s office differ from those in the hospital? In particular, this nurse was appalled that the physician…
You just started a PIV in the patient’s right arm and soon after, the patient complained of sharp pain and ask that the PIV be removed. What would you do? Leave PIV in and tell patient,of course it will hurt, I just stuck you with a needle Assess the IV site and if no redness…
Scrub….don’t wipe!!! According to the 2011 CDC guidelines section on “needleless intravascular catheter systems” statement #4 : “Minimize contamination risk by scrubbing the access port with an appropriate antiseptic (chlorhexidine, povidone iodine, an iodophor, or 70% alcohol) and accessing the port only with sterile devices. Category 1A” This is an update to their 2002 guidelines…
The long awaited update to the 2002 CDC Guidelines for the Prevention of Intravascular Catheter -Related Infections was released today April 1 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC). The 2011 guidelines outline steps to eliminate bloodstream infections in patients with intravenous catheters, which…
Are you a certified nurse? It’s a day to recognize you and other board certified nurses in many nursing specialties. Congratulations! Certification is a profession’s official recognition of achievement, expertise, and clinical judgment. It is a mark of excellence that requires continued learning and skill development to maintain. I have been a “CRNI” – certified registered…
In the years I have been an infusion nurse, none of my patients would volunteer to have an “IV access” started for any reason unless prescribed for the treatment their illness or to save their lives. It seems that a lot of consumers, not necessarily “patients” in the traditional definition, are seeking unconventional IV treatments.…
In the past weeks, there have several FDA alerts and recall notices related to products used in infusion therapy. Here are some of the products. Class I Recall: CareFusion Corporation, Alaris PC Units (Model 8015) Reason for Recall: Under certain wireless network conditions, a communication error can occur, which freezes the PC Unit screen. This…
There is an FDA Class I recall of Symbig Infusion Pumps One channel, model 16026 and Dual channels, model 16027 made by Hospira due to the potential for unrestricted flow of fluid or medication if the administration set (cassette) is removed before the cassette carriage fully opens and the slide/roller clamp is not closed. Additionally,…
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…
On July 13, 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration required Baxter Healthcare Corp. to take specific steps to carry out the April 2010 recall of all Colleague Volumetric Infusion Pumps (CVIP) and to provide customers with a refund, a replacement pump, or lease termination. According to the FDA, it is requiring Baxter to provide…
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