Failure to Specify PICC Flush Protocol in IV Medication Orders
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide adequate treatment and care for a resident with a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) in accordance with professional standards of practice. Facility policy required that intermittent infusions, such as antibiotics, be flushed with 10 ml normal saline solution (NSS) before and after medication administration. For a resident admitted with osteomyelitis of the thoracic vertebra, depression, and atrial fibrillation, physician orders directed the use of Cefepime HCl Solution intravenously every 12 hours and specified that the right upper arm PICC be flushed prior to and after infusion. However, the orders did not specify the substance or the amount to be used for the flush. This omission was confirmed by an LPN during an interview, indicating that the facility did not ensure the PICC was managed according to professional standards for this resident.