How to aseptically prepare an IV medication

This guide will tell you how to aseptically prepare an IV medication for patient use.

Things You'll Need

• IV drug
• IV fluid
• Syringe
• Needle
• Alcohol Swab
• Laminar Airflow Hood

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Instructions

• 1

  Wash your hands with soap or a hand sanitizer.

• 2

  Place vial of drug and IV fluid bag into the laminar airflow hood.

• 3

  Swab the top of the vial with an alcohol swab to disinfect the vial.

• 4

  Swab the entry port of the IV fluid bag to disinfect.

• 5

  Open the syringe you will need and draw the plunger back to 75% of the total volume you will need, e.g., draw 15mL of air into the syringe if you'll need 20mL of drug.

• 6

  Open the needle and screw the needle onto the syringe until it's snug.

• 7

  Hold the syringe and needle so that the beveled edge of the needle is up.

• 8

  Pierce the vial with the needle at a 45 degree angle, this will prevent 'coring', or breaking off a piece of the rubber stopper and letting it enter the drug.

• 9

  Slowly push the plunger of the syringe, adding the air into the vial. This creates a positive pressure in the vial. Push as much air into the vial as you can, then, making sure the needle is below the level of drug in the vial, let the pressure in the vial force drug into the syringe. Repeat the process until all the air is out of the syringe and the amount of drug you need is in the syringe. The pressure alone will not be sufficient to force the whole dose in. Pull the plunger back to the desired dose using your fingers.

• 10

  Pull the syringe and needle out of the vial and pierce the IV fluid bag, being sure to get the needle all the way inside the port. Be very careful not to pierce the exterior of the bag. The ports are usually reinforced, but if you force the needle into the bag, it's very easy to pierce the exterior of the bag, making you start over.

• 11

  Pull the syringe and needle straight out of the bag. Cap the bag and hand it off to the nurse to administer it to the patient.