Open AccessNew System to Administer Drugs via the Central Venous Catheter in Newborn Infants
Author(s) -
PL Simon,
Tan Ailee,
Quek Belinda,
Ang Peisan
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
the australian journal of hospital pharmacy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 0310-6810
DOI - 10.1002/jppr1998283177
Subject(s) - medicine , amikacin , vancomycin , parenteral nutrition , catheter , aseptic processing , cefotaxime , drug , anesthesia , intensive care medicine , surgery , antibiotics , pharmacology , genetics , bacteria , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , staphylococcus aureus
Background: Administering intravenous medications to the premature baby is often difficult because of the lack of peripheral venous access. Routine administration of these medications via the central venous catheter (eVC) poses a high risk of eve‐related sepsis. Aim: To describe a new method of aseptic drug delivery linked to the eve and to describe our initial experience in 32 neonates. Description: The drug‐manifold system is aseptically prepared under laminar flow conditions, and then linked aseptically to the parenteral nutrition solution and to the eve. This closed system is not disrupted until the next change of solutions 24 hours later. Drugs are administered at the appropriate times by turning the stopcocks without disrupting the closed system. Application: A total of 32 neonates received drugs administered by this system for an average duration of 12.9 ± 12.7 (SD) days. Drugs delivered included benzylpenicillin, ampicillin, gentamicin, cefotaxime, amikacin, aminophylline and vancomycin. Two cases of bacteraemia were identified; this represents 4.8 infections/ 1000 days of usage of this new system. This compares favourably with our infection rate before the new system was introduced. Conclusion: A new system of aseptic drug delivery linked to the eve in neonates was found to be safe and useful with few complications.