How to do IV Antibiotics at Home! Life with a Vent

Having a tracheotomy means you may be more susceptible to infections. Some of these infections may need IV antibiotics. Thankfully, administering IV antibiotics is safe, easy and can be done in the comfort of your own home. You will need a handful of supplies and an IV line such as a midline, PICC line, port-a-cath, etc. #lifewithavent #antibiotics #centralline

Use room temperature medicine
If your antibiotic needs to be refrigerated, one hour before you plan to infuse the antibiotic, take it out of the fridge to allow it to warm up to room temperature. Please do not infuse the medicine when it is cold. Cold liquid will put a tremendous amount of stress on your IV line and may cause it to crack.

IV extensions
If you are going to be administering IV antibiotics on yourself, it is extremely helpful if you have an extension on your line. This is the length of a regular PICC line. It is very short and is hard to reach. By adding this extension to the line, it is much easier to hold the line with both hands. To add the extension to your line, ask your doctor’s office or nurse for assistance.

Supplies
Before you begin administering the antibiotics, you will need the following items. You will need your antibiotic at room temperature, four alcohol wipes, 2 saline flushes, 1 heparin flush, gloves (optional) and an optional disinfectant cap (optional).

Set-up (SASH method)
When laying out your supplies, it is often best to place them in the order you will use them. The acronym many use is called sash. It stands for saline, antibiotic, saline, heparin. Place an alcohol swab and a saline flush, then place an alcohol swab and your antibiotic. Next place an alcohol swab and saline flush. And lastly place an alcohol swab, heparin flush and alcohol cap. With all your supplies in order, it will be easy to grab each item as you need it.

Preparing the saline and heparin flushes
Before beginning to administer the antibiotics, it is helpful if you get all your flushes set up. You will need to open the packaging. Once opened, you will need to break the air lock on the flushes. To do this, loosen the top. Then simply pull back on the flush until the syringe stopper moves. Then gently push forward on the stopped until the air is removed. Then tighten the cap. Now your flush is ready to use.

Step 1: Wash your hands (and put on gloves (optional))
Before beginning to administer the antibiotic, please wash your hands thoroughly and dry them thoroughly. Once you wash your hands, please refrain from touching your face, or anything else which may soil your hands. If you would like an extra layer of protection, put on a pair of gloves. Although wearing gloves is optional, gloves can help reduce the risk of possible infection.


When infusing my IV antibiotics, I do not wear gloves. I have muscle weakness in my hands. Wearing gloves makes it difficult for me to grasp the IV line and syringes. I find it is safer to not wear gloves than to wear gloves and possibly drop my IV line and/or syringes and contaminate them.

Step 2: Disinfect your the end of your IV line
When you are ready to begin, if you have a cap on the end of your IV line, remove it. Then, disinfect the end of your IV line. You will want to really scrub the end of the IV line for 30 seconds.

Step 3: Flush your line with saline and check for blood return
Next, flush your line with saline. Remove the air lock by pulling back on the saline flush and then pushing forward until all the air is out of the flush. Then connect the saline flush and begin flushing the line. After flushing 1-2 milliters of saline, pull back on the end of the saline flush and check for blood return.

Step 4: Disinfect your IV line with alcohol

Step 5: Administer IV antibiotic

Step 6: Disinfect IV line with alcohol

Step 7: Flush your line with saline

Step 8: Disinfect IV line with alcohol

Step 9: Flush your line with heparin

Step 10: IV cap for your line (optional)

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