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O C T O B E R 2 0 1 4 | O U T P AT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E
W
hen you're
dripping in
a second-
ary, piggyback drug
such as IV acetamino-
phen, the line is
attached to and
administered through
a port on the primary
IV line, and it is
always slow. But you
can speed up the
process. Take the end
cap from the second-
ary tubing, fold the
primary IV tubing
above the port into the
cap, and voila! Since
the fluid flow of the
primary IV will tem-
porarily be blocked, the piggybacked secondary drug will be able to
flow freely and quickly through the primary tubing. Once it's done,
remove the end cap from the folded tubing and the primary IV will
flow again.
John Hsu, MD
Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital
Whittier, Calif.
shjhshjh@gmail.com
IV ADVICE
Facilitate the Flow Of Secondary Drugs
HOLD THE LINE An IV end cap offers a
temporary, and helpful, obstruction.
IDEAS
That Work
