NICU 3-mL Doses - Syringe Size and Pump Flow Rate Limitation

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Wed, 03/16/2022 - 10:31
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Gina Gayed
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Joined: 06/05/2017 - 11:25
NICU 3-mL Doses - Syringe Size and Pump Flow Rate Limitation

Does anyone have any best practices around ensuring 3-mL syringes are used to prepare 3-mL NICU doses?

We’ve had incidents of 3-mL doses dispensed in 5-mL syringes. The ordered rate was less than 0.1 mL/hr. Because the Alaris syringe pump cannot deliver a flow rate lower than 0.1 mL/hr from a 5-mL syringe, the doses had to be sent back to be prepared a second time in 3-mL syringes.

We are thinking about including syringes as components to be scanned when Dispense Prepping NICU mixtures in Epic but are running into some workflow challenges with that.

Appreciate any insight!

Gina Gayed, PharmD, BCPS, CPPS
Medication Safety Officer
Wellstar Health System
Marietta, GA

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