Refridgerated IV meds

[LindseyRose]

I'm currently on both Tobramycin and Cefepime IV meds. They are stored in the fridge, and the instructions say to take it out and let it warm to room temp prior to infusion. Do I have to let it get warm just so it's more comfortable going in, or is there something about the chemistry of the med that requires it to be warm so it works more effectively? I have a port so I really can't feel the difference in temp, and taking it out early is annoying when I'm getting up at 1 in the morning and again at 6 in the morning just to do these meds!!!

 

[Jane]

From what I understand, it is only a comfort thing (so you don't have ice-cold liquid shooting through your veins). It IS a huge pain to let them warm up. I also have an early one to do for the boys, but my husband does the late one. My pharmacist told me it would be ok to take the meds out and put them under your armpits for a quick warm-up. SOmetimes I take them out and bring them back to bed with me.

 

[lightNlife]

Mostly it's a comfort thing, but the temperature also affects how quickly the meds flow. If it's straight out of the fridge, an IV like Tobra may infuse at a slower rate than if it has been allowed to come to room temp.

I have a portacath, so I don't really feel the meds going through, but I sure can taste them! Ewwwww. I prefer them cold because then the taste isn't so strong. I don't mind if it take 70 minutes to run instead of 55 or 60.

 

[Giggles]

When I am on home IV's I take the med and put it in a bowl of really hot water just to warm it up a bit before I infuse. That way you do not have to do it so far in advance and the med is ready to go in no time. Or I run it under the faucet under hot water.


Jennifer 34 years old with CF and CFRD

 

[Lilith]

To my understanding, its more of a comfort issue.  But if the
med is too cold, you can inflame your veins to the point where your
arm feels like its going to fall off (a.k.a phebitis (sp?)).
 And it hurts.  I have a port as well, and let me tell
you, with one of the more recent meds I've been on, if I don't let
it sit out for at least 45-60 minutes, my arm will be killing me to
the point of crying.  What I try to do is set my meds around a
certain schedule so I don't disrupt my sleep pattern too much.
 I take the med out first (30 minutes to an hour before the
dose is due), gather up the equipment, change the lines, etc. while
I wait, and by the time that's all done the meds are warm
enough.<br>
<br>
If you're in a hurry to warm them up, try sticking them under your
armpit for 10-15 minutes as Jane said.  I know it sounds kind
of weird, but the heat from under your arm will warm them up rather
quickly.

 

[JazzysMom]

It wont chage the makeup of the meds itself, but I really dont recommend administering it cold. If the timing is a problem that take the next dose out when you are done with the first. It is ok to leave it out for a few hours! My arm & veins hurt & finger got numb when I did it cold!

 

[Emily65Roses]

What everyone else said. For me, if it's a really hot and nasty day, I will just infuse straight out of the fridge. Internal air conditioning! Hahaha.

But it does flow a lot faster if it has had time to warm up to room temperature. If I forget to take it out of the fridge, a *normal* 30 minutes dose can take more than an hour. Pain in the butt. But like I said, if it's hot and you're without AC, just hook it up out of the fridge. Nice and comfy. Hahahaha. <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif" border="0">

 

[littlemisssilly]

Hi there,

It's more of a safety issue as well as the comfort thing. A cold infusion (just like an infusion that is put through too quickly) into a major vein, which is were portacath and PICCs situated in, can be too irritating and cause your heart to experience an irregular beat and can cause a sudden shift in someone's blood pressure and cause them to faint. The fainting is only temporary but it wouldn't be a nice experience, especially if you're on your own and you're accessing a central vein and then faint, it can be very dangerous. Hope that helps.

 

[folione]

My son's home nurse said the Tobra and Timentin he was on could sit out 3 days before they'd go bad. (We asked her what to do if power went out because the IVs were during a stormy period when we'd lost power several times). Based on that, we took out the morning does the night before, etc.

 

[Jane]

Ours are only stable for 4 hours at room temp.