| Problem | Possible Causes | What To Do |
| Fever of 100.5 or more | - Infusion too fast
- Catheter Infection
- Other causes such as the flu, common cold
| - Call physician
|
| Leaking fluid | - Loose connection
- Hole in tubing
| - Check all connections and tighten
- Replace tubing
|
| Weakness, nausea, or frequent urination | - Blood sugar is too high
- Solution being infused too fast
| - Call physician
|
| Sweating, nausea, headache, feeling of nervousness, blurred vision, shakiness, drowsiness | - Blood sugar too low
- Stopping TPN to rapidly
| - Take some form of sugar (hard candy, honey, fruit, Juice)
- Call physician
|
| Swelling of feet or ankles, shortness of breath while performing usual activity, weight gain 2 lbs or more per day | - Retaining extra fluid
| - Call physician
|
| Pump alarms | - Varies with alarm
| - See alarm section
|
| Swelling in the shoulder or where catheter is located | - Fluid being infused into skin, not in port
| - Stop infusion
- Reaccess port
- Call physician
|
| Pain, redness, or drainage around the catheter | - Infection at catheter site
| - Call physician
|
| Tubing becomes disconnected | - Tubing not taped or secured properly
| - DON'T PANIC.
- Clamp the extension tubing tightly.
- If there is blood in the tubing, flush the port with 4.5 cc of sodium chloride followed by 4.5 cc of 100 units/cc Heparin.
- Start infusion again.
- If there is air in the tubing, turn off the pump, clamp the tubing as close to your body as possible, lie on your left side.
- Call physician.
|
| Bloody urine, bruising easily, bleeding gums | - Blood thinning medication
| - Call physician
|
| Any unusual feeling | - Various causes
| - Call physician
|
| Unable to flush port | - Catheter has developed blockage
| - Change body position and try to flush again.
- If still unable to flush, call physician.
DO NOT FORCE FLUSH INTO CATHETER |
