Examkin

Question

Difficulty: EasyPharmacological and Parenteral Therapies

A nurse is preparing to administer an intravenous (IV) push medication through a Y-site port on a client's active continuous IV infusion line. Which of the following is the priority nursing action before proceeding with the administration?

  1. A
    Scrub the needleless Y-site injection port with an antimicrobial swab.
  2. B
    Pinch the primary IV tubing directly above the Y-site injection port.
  3. Verify the compatibility of the IV push medication with the continuous infusion fluid.Answer
  4. D
    Administer a flush of 0.9%0.9\% sodium chloride to clear the IV tubing.

Answer

The priority action is to verify the compatibility of the IV push medication with the continuous infusion fluid.
Verifying compatibility is the absolute first step when preparing to administer an IV push medication into an existing continuous infusion. If medications are incompatible, they can form a precipitate, inactivate one another, or cause a severe adverse reaction. This safety check dictates whether the medication can be safely given through the existing line or if alternative access is required, meaning it must precede all physical procedural steps.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the proposed route and existing therapies.
The client has a continuous IV infusion and requires an IV push medication via the Y-site.
Understanding the IV setup is necessary to identify potential medication interaction risks.
2
Recall the principles of safe intravenous medication administration.
Medications given in the same IV line can interact, causing precipitates or drug inactivation.
Chemical and physical incompatibilities pose a significant, immediate risk to patient safety.
3
Determine the priority sequence of actions.
Checking drug compatibility must occur before preparing the medication or interacting with the client's IV site.
If the medications are incompatible, a separate IV access may be required, making physical procedural steps on the current line irrelevant or dangerous.

Key Concept

Intravenous Medication Compatibility
Rate this question

Topics

Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies

More questions from this topic