Question

Health care personnel is preparing IV solution and tubing for a client who requires IV fluids. While preparing to connect the tubing, the uncapped end of the tubing drops and hits the top of the medication cart. the person should plant to complete which of the following?

A) change the IV tubing, and prime the new tubing.
B) Wipe the tubing with alcohol and connect it to the IV site.
C) Scrub the tubing with betadine, then wipe with an alcohol wipe before connecting to the IV site.
D) Clean the outside of the IV tubing with alcohol, then dip the end of the IV tubing in betadine solution before connecting to the IV site.

Answer 1

If the IV tubing comes into contact with any non-sterile surface, the appropriate action is to discard the contaminated tubing and replace it with new, sterile IV tubing to prevent any risk of infection.

Step-by-step explanation:

When the uncapped end of the IV tubing comes into contact with a non-sterile surface like the medication cart, it is imperative to maintain aseptic technique to prevent infections. The best practice in this scenario is A) change the IV tubing, and prime the new tubing.

This is because disinfecting the end of the tubing that has been contaminated is not reliable enough to ensure the absence of all microbial life, and it could pose a risk of infection to the client. The uncontaminated environment is crucial for the prevention of sepsis, and following strict protocols, similar to the checklist approach for medical procedures, is essential for patient safety. Therefore, the IV tubing should be discarded, and new, sterile tubing must be used and primed before connecting to the client's IV.