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.
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. Your nurse will visit frequently until
you are able to independently administer your infusion therapy.
Visit frequency will then be 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, 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. If your dressing is damp or wet to touch.
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 pump is beeping low battery.
What should I do?
A. Plug your pump into an electrical outlet. If your pump requires a battery, stop the pump, remove the old battery, insert a new battery then restart the pump.
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. 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 PSR. The Patient Service Representative will guide you through the inventory process by asking you to count all supplies on-hand. The PSR, 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.
