Question

Answer the following questions 20.1) The instructions supplied for a particular IV antibiotic advise reconstitution with 10ml Normal Saline. However, the drug room has run out of vials of Normal Saline, can sterile water was used instead? 20.2) You have been asked to administer an IV medication using a Burette. Outline the 8 steps of medication administration.

Answer 1

Answers:

20.1) Yes. we can use sterile water for injection instead of normal saline. Most of the antibiotics in powdered form comes along with the packed solution to mix it. Water for injection is a sterile, non-pyrogenic solution can be used to prepare IV antibiotics. The saline solution contains 0.9% sodium chloride that acts as a cleansing fluid. Thus the only thing that made sterile water differ from the saline solution. Sterile water can be used for reconstitution of antibiotics. It is better to read the instructions clearly of a particular antibiotic before use or Check with the pharmacist .

20.2) The steps of IV medication administration using a Burette

• Calculate the volume of medication to be injected and ensure whether the burette can accommodate this volume.
• The burette airway should be kept open.
• Clean the port of the burette with an alcohol swab.
• Attach the medication syringe into the burette port under aseptic technique.
• Inject the medication into the burette and discard the syringe.
• Calculate the infusion rate and set the hourly volume of administration in the burette.
• Label the burette with the medication name, dose, date, and time before starting the infusion.
• Monitor and document the infusion rate.