There is some contraversy regarding back flushing IVPB secondary tubing (for use with multiple antibiotics or other solutions) with the primary tubing solution. If the primary solution does not have additives that would be incompatible with the secondary infusion, is it acceptable to reuse the flushed secondary tubing for more than 1 IVPB?
There is no controversy. The backpriming method is the preferred method and is recommended in the INS Standards of Practice. You must check compatibility between any additives to the primary fluid and the piggybacked med. This is a far better method than disconnecting and reconnecting individual secondary sets. Multipe secondary sets cost more and more manipulation increases risk of contamination due to failure to maintan the male luer end of the piggyback set, failure to adequately scrub that injection site, etc. When you are connecting and disconnecting with a secondary set for each med, these piggyback sets are now considered to be intermittent sets and they should be changed every 24 hours. Lynn
Lynn Hadaway, M.Ed., RN, BC, CRNI
Lynn Hadaway Associates, Inc.
126 Main Street, PO Box 10
Milner, GA 30257
Website http://www.hadawayassociates.com
Office Phone 770-358-7861
Thank you.