A nurse is managing the care of a client admitted with diabetic ketoacidosis. The client is receiving a continuous intravenous (IV) infusion of regular insulin through a single peripheral IV catheter. The healthcare provider prescribes an intermittent IV infusion of a broad-spectrum antibiotic for a concurrent infection. The nurse consults a drug compatibility reference and discovers the antibiotic is chemically incompatible with regular insulin at the Y-site. Which of the following actions is the most appropriate for the nurse to take?
- Insert a second peripheral intravenous catheter to administer the intermittent antibiotic infusion.Cevap
- BStop the regular insulin infusion temporarily for the duration of the antibiotic administration.
- CFlush the existing IV line with normal saline, infuse the antibiotic, and flush again before resuming insulin.
- DAdminister the antibiotic as a secondary piggyback infusion through the Y-site closest to the client.
Cevap
Insert a second peripheral intravenous catheter to administer the intermittent antibiotic infusion.
Regular insulin is a critical continuous infusion for a client with diabetic ketoacidosis and must not be interrupted, as doing so can rapidly worsen the client's metabolic state. Because the prescribed antibiotic is incompatible with insulin, the two medications cannot share the same IV line, even with flushing, as the insulin must run continuously. Therefore, establishing a second peripheral IV catheter is the only safe and effective method to administer both therapies simultaneously.
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Anahtar Kavram
Management of incompatible intravenous medications with continuous critical infusions