A nurse is preparing to administer a medication from an ampule. Which of the following is an appropriate action for the nurse to take?
A.
Cleanse the tip of the ampule with an alcohol swab after opening.
B.
Add 0.5 mL of diluent to the medication.
C.
Use a filter needle to aspirate the medication.
D.
Inject air into the ampule prior to drawing the medication into a syringe.
When preparing to administer medication from an ampule, the nurse should:
C. Use a filter needle to aspirate the medication.
Explanation:
- A. Cleansing the tip of the ampule after opening is not necessary. The tip of the ampule should be cleaned before opening to prevent contamination.
- B. Adding a diluent is only necessary if the medication requires dilution as per the manufacturer’s instructions, which is not universally applicable to all ampules.
- C. A filter needle is used to prevent glass particles from being drawn into the syringe when using an ampule. This is the correct action.
- D. Injecting air into an ampule is not recommended, as it can lead to contamination or loss of medication. Air is only injected into vials, not ampules.
So, the appropriate action is C to ensure the medication is safely drawn without contamination.