AIIMS Rishikesh & Jodhpur NO - 2017
Medical & Surgical Nursing
Easy

A nurse caring a patient which receiving TPN in ICU, what is the right intervention of the nurse?

Appeared in: AIIMS Rishikesh & Jodhpur NO - 2017

Explanation

  • Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) solutions have a high concentration of glucose and lipids, which creates an ideal medium for the growth of bacteria and fungi.
  • To prevent Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSI), it is a standard and critical nursing practice to change the TPN bag and the entire infusion set every 24 hours.
  • This rule applies regardless of whether there is still solution left in the bag.
  • Adhering to this 24-hour rule is a primary intervention to ensure patient safety during TPN therapy.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

  • Option B: This option is too vague and grammatically awkward. While continuing TPN is the overall goal of therapy, it is not a specific, actionable intervention related to the critical 24-hour cycle of bag and tubing changes.
  • Option C: This is a dangerous and incorrect action. Abruptly stopping a TPN infusion can lead to severe rebound hypoglycemia. The patient's pancreas is producing high levels of insulin to manage the high glucose load from the TPN; suddenly stopping the glucose source will cause blood sugar to drop rapidly.
  • Option D: This option is incorrect because option B is vague and option C describes a dangerous action that should never be performed.

Related Visual

Visual explanation — Related Visual
Clinical Relevance
  • Nursing practice connection: Prioritize focused assessment, early escalation, and real-time monitoring when managing Safe Administration of Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) in acute care settings.
  • A nurse's primary role in TPN therapy is to prevent complications, with infection (CLABSI) and metabolic instability (hyper/hypoglycemia) being the most critical.
  • Strict adherence to the 24-hour bag and tubing change protocol is a non-negotiable standard of care that directly prevents life-threatening bloodstream infections.
  • What if? If a new TPN bag is not available from the pharmacy when the 24-hour change is due, the nurse's immediate action is to discontinue the old TPN and hang a bag of 10% Dextrose in Water (D10W) at the same infusion rate. This prevents rebound hypoglycemia until the new TPN solution arrives.
How to Approach the Question
  • First, identify the core subject of the question, which is the nursing care for a patient receiving TPN in the ICU.
  • Recognize that the question asks for the 'right intervention', indicating a need to apply knowledge of standard safety protocols.
  • Evaluate each option based on established principles of TPN administration.
  • Option A describes the 24-hour rule for changing TPN bags, a key infection control measure. Recall that TPN is a high-risk solution for microbial growth.
  • Option C suggests stopping the TPN. Recall the significant risk of rebound hypoglycemia from abrupt cessation. This makes it a dangerous and incorrect choice.
  • Based on the critical importance of infection control and the danger of stopping the infusion, identify Option A as the correct and safest intervention.
Concept Tested & Keywords
  • Concept Tested: Safe Administration of Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN)
  • Stem keywords: TPN, ICU, nurse, intervention
  • Lead-in keywords: right intervention
  • Clinical cues: The care setting changes urgency, monitoring level, and the expected nursing action.
  • Negative lead-in flag: false

Question ID

QE9RmRmaIa-hLeM8P6ejHq

Reference Book

E6 Nursing Brunner Adult Health 3SA Vol 1 Part 2 p. 107-109

E6 Pharmacology Nursing Lilley 11e Part 3 pp. 233-235, 234-236

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