A client has been hospitalized following a myocardial infarction. The

A client has been hospitalized following a myocardial infarction. The client has an IV line run-ning with multiple drips.

The nurse assesses the client’s medical record to determine the last time the IV tubing was changed, because the nurse knows that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that IV tubing be changed:
1. Every shift
2. Daily
3. Every 48 hours
4. Every 72 hours

ANSWER

ANS: 4
CDC and INS recommend tubing change no more often than 72-hour intervals or whenever tub-ing has been compromised. The more frequently a closed sterile system is opened, the more op-portunities there are for microorganisms to be introduced into the system.