Her reponse: "We ordinarily don't approve of this thing being done this way, it sounds like she found a solution to the problem of the leak". But we don't encourage this action" I said "okay, what happens next"???

She said "if there was contamination (note that I never mentioned the word,she did") If there contamination in the product, you might see a reaction within 24 hours" I said "well this happened last night ". She said "what time did the nurse leave"? and I said 8:45 p.m."

She said "I am giving you my cell phone number. Call me at 9:30 p.m. this evening and tell me how he is doing." I said: "I'm not trying to cause any problems, I just wanted to tell you what happened" and she said "you did the right thing, just don't tell anyone else".

Oh brother........


Ask to file a written grievance. You need to document. You can also call your state board of regulation and licensing or who ever oversees nursing licensure in your state.

Her response is utterly ridiculous. She should have told you to call your physician...they should have called your physician....they are busy right now, compiling their legal defense. Change providers if you can.

Big boo boo number 3 "don't tell any one" ...number 1 being giving fluids from a leaky bag..boo boo number 2 being 'skillfully and with the appearance of sterile technique", transfering that contaminant exposed fluid into another bag...Oh and there might be one more boo boo...I read IVIG is not compatible with normal saline. I am not completely sure on this one, but I read on pharmacy page on mixing it, that it is not compatible with normal saline...now please realize that not all IV bags contain normal saline....I honestly can't say off the top of my head what IVIG is mixed in. Keep all bags, tubes etc in a bag....don't monkey around with them.

A reaction to IVIG is not the same as an infection which could take a few days to brew up....the best way to find an infection of this sort will be to draw blood, CBC and blood cultures. Your doc will know what to do. I think you need to make it clear to your doc what happend.

Administering a fluid from a leaking bag, regardless of how the leak got there is an error. It is a medication error, this one being rather deliberate.

I will say it again...

No nurse is dumb enough to think for a minute that this fluid was still sterile.

Allan will likely be fine. In the remote chance he isn't, you need to have this incident documented.

Your doc needs to know what happend, and given the response of the infusion provider, I would get a new one....'don't tell any one' is not an acceptable answer to your question...it is exactly the opposite of what you should have been told. I am aghast.