Hello,
When removing a Fluorouracil infusion bottle attached to a port needle hows do other departments flush the needle before removing it from the port, and how do they discard the infusion.
Our practice has been to disconnect the infusor and pulsate flush the needle with normal saline, placing the needle in the chemotherapy sharps container and the infusor in the chemotherapy waste bin.
However, it has been recently suggested that we flush the needle from the second bung on the port needle leaving the close system complete and then remove the needle still attached to the infuser and discard the whole unit into the sharps container. If we were to remove the complete system with the needle, would or should be use and equashield to flush the port needle as a safety precaution? as this has not been our practice ether?
Any feedback would be most welcome.
Tess