M A R C H 2 0 2 0 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 2 1
T
he one- and two-gram IV piggyback
infusion bags of the antibiotic cefa-
zolin we were using exclusively in
2018 were almost always on backorder and
delivery took several months. They were
also expensive. A case of one-gram bags of
cefazolin cost about $141. (We were charged
$260 a case when it was on backorder.) A
case of the two-gram bags cost $415.
I thought there had to be a better option
and discovered that administering cefazolin
via a three- to five-minute IV push is safe and
effective. It's also much less expensive. A
case of one-gram vials costs $17.50 — an
eighth of the price of a case of the infusion
bags on the rare occasions they were in
stock. We reconstitute the powder with sterile water. The mix remains
stable for six hours at room temperature and for seven days in a
refrigerator. Once drawn into a syringe, it's best to be given within an
hour. As a safety check, we label syringes with the medication, dosage
level and the time and date the mix was drawn into them. We've done
away with IV bags of cefazolin and now stock only powder vials. Our
expected annual savings from the switch: more than $18,000.
Sarah Hatfield, BSN, RN
Lakeside Surgery Center
Omaha, Neb.
sarah.hatfield@scasurgery.com
INFECTION PREVENTION
Push for Savings With Powdered Antibiotics
• MIXING IT UP A nurse at Lakeside
Surgery Center mixes a powdered antibiotic,
which will be manually administered
through the patient's IV tubing for three to
five minutes.
