In certain situations, clinicians may wish to combine traditional IV fluid therapy with the administration of an IV medication, such as with a constant rate infusion (CRI), or intermittent bolus via syringe pump.

Such IV set-ups are commonly referred to as ‘piggy-backing’.

GVP’s range of needle-free accessories makes this take much easier and more convenient. In this article we look at various options to facilitate multiple simultaneous infusions.

Administration close to patient

In most cases, you will want the second IV line (e.g. CRI) to attach to (join)  your primary IV line (e.g. from fluid pump) as close to the IV cannula as possible.

Ordinarily, many practices use T-Connectors (such as our IVTCONMB) as their initial attachment to the IV cannula.

However, by substituting a GVP Needle-free Twin Extension Set in place of the T-Connector, you’ll now have two ports available.

On the first port, attach your main fluid line. On the second port, attach your secondary line (e.g. CRI). The advantage of the needle-free ports is that there is no need to remove any fittings, as the lines can attach and detach as you wish. The ports automatically seal when you remove the male luer fitting (tip).

Also note that because each arm of the twin extension set also has a slide clamp, it is possible to clamp off that line and prevent back flow from your main IV line.

Administration further from patient

In other situations, it can be desirable to piggy-back a little further from the patient. For example, your patient is a larger dog, or its temperament means you’d prefer to not open the cage every time you make changes to your IV set-up.

In this situation, you may find GVP’s XL Administration Set useful.

This set is similar to our standard 20 drop/ml and 60ml/drop giving sets, but 

• Is 1m longer, with a total length of 3.2 metres.
• Has a needle-free Y-Port about 50cm from the patient end

You can easily attach and detach a second IV line from the Y-Port. So, this allows attachment of a syringe pump, or secondary  fluid line. Similarly, you can use this port to flush the line/cannula with saline, or to administer a bolus medication via syringe.

Finally, remember that as with all injection ports, good aseptic practice mandates swabbing the port with alcohol prior to reattachment of IV lines or syringes.

For more information on GVP’s range of IV administration sets and accessories, click here. Or drop us an email with any questions.

Undoubtedly there is a growing awareness of the veterinary workplace safety implications of using so many sharps, including needles. As a consequence, their widespread use in practice is slowly shifting, to lessen risks and reduce sharps waste – a trend that began long ago in human medicine.

Let’s take a quick look at why you should consider this change in your practice.

The avoidance of needle-stick injuries is the obvious motivation, but there are other productivity benefits from using needle-free ports within your IV fluid administration protocol.

One of the commonly used devices you may be familiar with is the T-Connector. This short extension set is attached to the IV cannula and the free end is used to connect the patient to an IV line. This approach is easier and more practical than attachment of the IV line or long extension line directly to the cannula – especially for smaller patients. GVP T-Connectors feature micro-bore tubing to reduce dead space and priming volume.

Our standard T-Connectors come with either a removable injection port, or a disposable cap on the free end. If you routinely buy the GVP one in a purple packet, this has the injection port. The green one has a disposable cap.

In either case, to attach the IV line you’ll need to remove this port or cap. Since you may wish to later disconnect the patient from IV fluids, it’s wise to keep the detached port/cap in a sterile state by attaching it to a clean needle cap or other form of sterile device you have handy.

As you may know, it’s easy to drop or lose the port in the process. So, if a patient is detached and reattached throughout their stay (taken out for a wee, or to surgery, etc) you might find yourself opening a few new packets of ports to re-seal the line. At other times, you might wish to flush the T-Connector or medicate the patient using the needle-port. That’s fine, but you’ll use a new needle each time.

By using a GVP needle-free injection port you will simplify the work-flow.

In place of the regular port, simply attach the blue IVPLGNF port. You’ll now be able to easily flush or dose directly into the T-Connector from your syringe, without use of a needle.

And best of all, you can leave the port attached for the entire period of cannulation.

You can also directly attach the IV line, without removing the port – the IV line will lock onto the external thread. By avoiding the need to remove ports and cap IV lines, you reduce the risk of contamination. It’s also a lot easier and quicker to connect and disconnect your patient throughout their hospitalisation.

An even better alternative is to select our NEW Needle-Free T-Connector. This is basically identical to our regular T-Connector but has a fixed NF port on the free end. It is also a little longer (17cm) which provides greater flexibility when the device is taped into place. In terms of attaching IV lines or a syringe, it works exactly the same way as the removable port as detailed above.

New IVTCONNF

For more help in getting the most from GVP products simply call or email us.

An everyday task for most busy veterinary practices is loading syringes with saline or other IV fluids to enable flushing of IV lines and cannulas.

Traditionally, this has involved accessing a spare fluid bag with an 18G needle and syringe. If you commonly do the same, do any of these issues sound familiar?

Our nifty GVP Transfer Spike is the needle-free solution to all these problems. With a spike at one end, it inserts into the same port as you would normally place the IV administration set. Then, simply attach any luer-tip syringe directly to the blue port.

Staying there for the life of the bag, this handy device allows you to quicky, easily and safely load a flushing syringe. You’ll reduce sharps usage and avoid needle-stick injuries. You will also find the syringes load quickly with minimal bubbles, saving time. And no more dripping bags!

Remember to use good aseptic technique – by swabbing the port before use and responsibly disposing of the bag and device once the bag is consumed, or within one week.

And finally, as with all needle-free accessories – make sure you inform any of your team members who are unfamiliar, never to insert a needle into the blue port.