The following questions represent some of the most common questions we receive. The answers below are a guide and are not intended to replace the need to consult a professional nurse or pharmacist. Please call 1-800-755-4704 to speak with a nurse or pharmacist 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.
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Q. My nurse instructed me to flush with a different amount than is prescribed on my plan of treatment. Which is correct?
A. We recommend that you flush your catheter following the instructions on your Plan of Treatment supplied in your admission folder. This Plan of Treatment reflects the orders your physician provided for your care. If there are circumstances requiring an increase or decrease in flushing volume, we need to be made aware in order to ensure you are receiving appropriate amounts of flushing solution.
Q. Who is going to set-up my pump
and hook-up my medication?
A. Chartwell will deliver your pre-programmed pump and medication and a homecare nurse will visit to provide education and training needed for you to administer your therapy. You will be instructed by your home care nurse regarding pump functions and troubleshooting. Chartwell is available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week to assist you with any questions you may have regarding administration of your therapy.
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. Chartwell is 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. How often will I see a nurse?
A. Nursing visits are scheduled based on your individual plan of care. Visit frequency is based on your individual needs such as what type of IV catheter you have and the care it requires and how often you require lab work.
Q. My medication infuses on a Prizm
pump and when I awoke most of it was still in the bag. What happened?
A. It is possible that the tubing was pinched-off or that the pump was not reset correctly prior to the infusion. Failure to reset the residual volume screen will result in a partial infusion. Please call your nurse or Chartwell for assistance with resetting the screens if needed.
Discard the partially infused bag and notify Chartwell. Do not infuse another bag until the next schedule dose, unless otherwise directed.
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 this IV?
A. Yes. Cover your dressing with plastic wrap, secured 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 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 or Chartwell for assistance with troubleshooting..
Q. My CADD Prizm pump is beeping low battery. What should I do?
A. If your pump alarms low external battery; plug your pump into an electrical outlet.
If your pump alarms low 9 volt battery, stop the pump, remove the old battery, insert a new 9 volt battery then restart the pump.
Q. My enteral feeding pump is alarming low battery or is not holding a charge. What should I do?
A. Check to be sure your pump is plugged in to the wall outlet properly. When the pump is plugged in properly, a green light should be illuminated on the AC adapter. If the green light is not illuminated, contact Chartwell.
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.
Q. My pump is beeping dose complete.
What should I do?
A. Stop your pump. Disconnect the IV tubing from the injection cap and flush your line.
Q. My pump is beeping high pressure.
What does this mean and what should I do?
A. There may be a kink in the tubing or a clamp may be closed. Straighten the tubing or open the clamp and the pump will resume delivery. You may press stop/start to stop the pump and silence the alarm for 2 minutes. After you remove the cause of the high pressure, start the pump if necessary. If the alarm continues, contact your nurse.
Q. My pump is beeping Upstream occlusion. What does this mean and what should I do?
A. Fluid is not flowing from the container to the pump. Check for a kink in the tubing, a closed clamp or an air bubble in the tubing between the fluid container and the pump. Press the start/stop button to stop the pump and silence the alarm for 2 minutes, then remove the obstruction and press NEXT to restart the pump.
Q. My pump is beeping Downstream occlusion. What does this mean and what should I do?
A. There may be a kink in the tubing or a clamp may be closed. Check for a kink in the tubing, a closed clamp in the tubing between the pump and the patients IV catheter. Press the start/stop button to stop the pump and silence the alarm for 2 minutes, then remove the obstruction, flush the catheter if necessary and press NEXT to restart the pump.
Q. How do I order more supplies?
A. To order supplies, you may use the Chartwell website or call the Chartwell Patient Service Representative (PSR) for your assigned team. This information is located in your Chartwell folder. The Chartwell receptionist can also direct you to the appropriate customer service representative. The Patient Service Representative will guide you through the inventory process by asking you to count all supplies on-hand. The customer service representative, will then calculate the number of supplies needed for the number of doses of medication being sent and take into consideration any labs to be drawn.
Q. I fell asleep and forgot to infuse
my medication. What should I do?
A. It is important to administer your medications at the prescribed times. However, if you forget to administer a dose, give it as soon as you remember and readjust your infusion times. Please notify Chartwell if you change your infusion schedule.
Q. How do I know when to stop taking
my medication?
A. You will be notified by your nurse, Chartwell and/or your physician when your therapy is completed.
Q. Can I eat if I'm scheduled to
have labs drawn?
A. Some lab tests require that you do not eat prior to having labs drawn. Your nurse will instruct you.
