INS standards state "once tubing has been disconnected from a patient it
then becomes a 24hour line." This does not specify for inpatient or
outpatient.
I believe that is you looked at your cost of tubing per item it is really a
low cost item vs. possible line infection. It would take only (1) one
infection to cancel out your cost savings.
Betsy Harmon RN CRNI
Vascular Access Team
Critical Care Unit
Alaska Native Medical Center
Anchorage, Alaska 99508
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
----- Original Message -----
From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Monday, May 15, 2006 4:14 PM
Subject: outpt infusion reusing IV tubing 72hr
To reduce cost a suggestion was made to reuse the IV tubing for 72hours on
a patient that comes in for daily infusion. The patient would have a PICC
and come for maybe daily abx's. The infusion is done the tubing flushed
with NS, disconnected from the PICC and a sterile cap placed on the IV
tubing. It is stored in the med room and used by the same pt for 3
infusions.
We have been discarding the tubing daily and replacing with new IV tubing
daily.
Any support for or against this suggested practice. P&P is for tubing
change 72 hrs but that was written for inpt
Thanks
Pat Dobson
