I heard from our home health dept about a pt on home IV antibiotics who ran out of the prefilled sterile NS flushes and injected saline from a bottle of irrigation fluid into his saline-lock. I was shocked, has anyone ever heard of this? What was that outcome. This pt had a PICC line. It was removed as a result and Labs done.
I have had enquiries about that practice a couple of times. The pharmacists I have spoken with have said the preservatives in irrigation solution are too toxic for parenteral administration. That is why FDA requires different labeling and containers.
Daniel Juckette RN, CCRN, VA-BC
Ive known ward nurses to do it, and then argue when caught out. That was using the dressing saline amps instead of the saline for inj. but for mixing meds and using in subcut syringes.
Why was the PICC removed??
That is what I was wondering, I think the MD paniced.