Home Infusion Care
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. If I am hospitalized, should I take my medications and supplies to the hospital?
A. No. The hospital will supply the medication and supplies needed during
your admission.
Q. How long should I remove my medication from the refrigerator before I use it?
A. Normally 2-3 hours is enough time for it to warm to room temperature.
Q. What are the possible side effects of my medication?
A. Please contact your pharmacist for further explanation or to report
any side effects.
Q. Where should I keep my medication if it needs to be stored at room temperature?
A. Medication should be stored at a controlled room temperature. Avoid
direct sunlight, areas exposed to excessive moisture (bathroom) and excessive
heat/cold (over or around heating or air conditioning vents). It is also
important to store medications out of reach of children and pets.
Q. If my medication label shows today as the expiration date can I still use it?
A. The medication can still be used on the expiration date. Do not use
the medication if the infusion will be completed the following day.
Q. What do I do if I have a problem administering my medication?
A. If you have any problems or questions regarding the administration of
your therapy you should contact your homecare nurse who will assist you
as needed. Our home infusion team are also available 24 hours per day,
7 days per week to assist you with any questions you may have regarding
administration of your therapy.
Q. There is blood backing-up in my tubing. What should I do?
A. If there is not medication infusing through your line, flush your line
as previously instructed and close the clamp. If your catheter does not
flush easily, do not flush forcefully. Contact your nurse who will visit
to evaluate your line.
Q. My dressing is coming off. What should I do?
A. If you have been trained to change your dressing always change it when
it becomes loose or wet. If you have not received training to change your
dressing, tape the edges of your dressing to your skin and avoid placing
tension on your line. Call your nursing agency; a visit will be required
to change the dressing.
Q. Can I shower with my IV?
A. Yes. Cover your dressing with plastic wrap and secure all outside edges
with tape. Do not allow the water stream to spray directly on your IV
site. After bathing, remove the plastic wrap immediately and pat dry any
moisture that has accumulated under the plastic wrap.
Q. I forgot to take my medicine out of the refrigerator. Can I warm it
up in the microwave?
A. No. It is not safe to warm medication using any heat source. Medication
should be warmed by room temperature only. You can hold the medication
bag/syringe in your hands, allowing body heat to slowly warm the solution
or wait until the medication reaches room temperature.
Q. My infusion is not running. What should I do?
A. Check your IV line and medication tubing to ensure all clamps are open
and there are no kinks in the line or tubing. Change your position. Stop
the pump and disconnect the tubing from your IV line. Attempt to flush
your IV catheter with saline. Do not force-flush if you meet resistance.
Call your nurse if you are having any trouble. If the line flushes without
resistance, test-start the pump before reconnecting to your IV line to
determine if the IV tubing is the problem. If the occlusion alarm continues,
when the IV is not attached to your line, the IV tubing may need changed.
Please contact your nurse for assistance with troubleshooting.
Q. My IV site is red and swollen. Can I still hook-up my next dose?
A. No. Call your nurse to report any signs of redness or swelling. The
nurse will arrange a visit to evaluate your IV before you administer another infusion.
