General Purpose: To demonstrate a sterile preparation process. Specific Purpose: To demonstrate to my audience how to prepare an intrathecal injection. Central Idea: The importance to utilize appropriate aseptic technique to ensure that the intrathecal injection being prepared is sterile. Introduction: I. My favorite sterile preparation is the intrathecal injections, also known as “pain pumps” that are used for pain management. This process originated after a few months of my own personal experience in sterile compounding. This process is an effective and fast way to prepare most injectable medications, since it only takes a few minutes.
Today I will show you the four steps in preparing this sterile preparation. Transition: First I’ll start by gathering all materials needed. Body: There are several supplies that are essential to complete the process. 1. You need a prescription order, prescription label, and the formula worksheet. 2. Put on your PPE (personal protective equipment) 3. Weigh out your powders and pressure appropriate quantity of water for injection. 4. Gather all materials needed; syringes, needles, syringe cap, 0. 22 micron filter, tamper-resistant seal, sterile lint-free towels, sterile alcohol, amber (light-resistant) dispensing bag.
Transition: Now that we have collected all the materials we can start the preparation process. II. Second step is to transport all your materials into the clean room and place all the powders inside a syringe and prepare for mixing. A. A sterile technician normally acquired a specific technique that works for them based on their experience. 1. Once in the hood, pull out the plunger from your syringe, cap it with a syringe cap and place the powders inside the barrel. 2. Place plunger inside the barrel, and set aside. 3. Take another syringe and draw up your sterile water, place a needle, and set aside.
Transition: We are ready to mix and dissolve the powders. III. The third step is to completely dissolve all the powders—the solution should be clear and free of particulates. 1. You want to take the syringe with the water and transfer the water into the syringe with all the powders. 2. Once you have transferred all the water, you can re-cap your syringe with the solution. 3. At this point you want to place your pointer finger over the syringe cap and start mixing. Mix until all powders have completely dissolved. Transition: We now have our dissolved solution. IV. The fourth step is filtering your solution into a clean, sterile syringe.
1. Take your 0. 22 Micron Filter, a clean needle and place on the syringe with the solution. 2. Take your clean, sterile syringe and pull back on the plunger to the required quantity. 3. Transfer the solution into the clean syringe (It is important not to contaminate the new, clean syringe in the filtering process). 4. Now, take a new syringe cap and place on your syringe. 5. Place a tamper-resistant seal over the syringe cap. Transition: We are now ready to label the prepared intrathecal injection for dispensing. 1. First, you want to label the syringe and amber bag with the patient’s prescription label.
2. Once you have checked all your paper work and everything is labeled correctly, you can take it over to the pharmacist so they can final check the preparation and dispense it. Conclusion: I would like for you guys to take from this the importance of using proper aseptic technique. It is something that can be easily over looked, especially when rushing through the preparation process. Keep in mind that any sort of contamination from the preparation can be easily transferred directly into the patient’s body causing serious health complications such as an infection or death.