Failure to Label IV Antibiotic Bag with Date and Time
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a registered nurse (RN) failed to label an intravenous (IV) antibiotic bag with the date and time it was administered for a resident receiving IV therapy. During an observation, the RN was seen disconnecting the IV antibiotic bag from the resident's peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) and confirmed that the date and time were only indicated on the IV tubing, not on the IV bag itself. Both the RN and the Director of Nursing (DON) acknowledged that standard practice and facility policy require the date and time to be labeled directly on the IV bag to ensure proper tracking and administration. The resident involved had a history of chronic osteomyelitis, incomplete paraplegia, and type 2 diabetes mellitus, and was receiving IV antibiotics for an infected decubitus ulcer. The resident was alert, oriented, and had intact cognition, requiring varying levels of assistance with activities of daily living. The facility's policy specified that all medication bags must be labeled, but this was not followed in this instance, leading to the identified deficiency.