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anteroom
an ISO Class 8 room or area immediately before the buffer room in which hand washing, hygiene, and garbing, are done and supplies and ingredients are gathered between the pharmacy department and the cleanroom or buffer area
drip chamber
the small, open space just below the spike adaptor where the nurse counts the drops of fluid from the IV bag into the tubing to determine the flow rate of the IV solution
in-line filter
a device used in the IV line to remove contaminants such as glass, fibers, bits of rubber, and bacteria from IV fluids
positive pressure
air is being blown into a room and therefore it has higher pressure than the adjacent spaces so the net airflow is out of the area
critical site
the part of the syringe and/or need that is at risk for contamination by touch or airflow interruption
asepsis
the absence of pathogenic micro-organisms
drop factor
the number of drops that an IV tubing delivers to provide 1 mL; nurses may use this number to calculate the IV flow rate when using certain types of primary IV tubing; also called drop set or drip set
ISO
(International Organization for Standardization) an air quality classification from the ISO measures the amount of particulate matter in room air; the lower the ISO number, the less particulate matter is present in the air
protozoan
a single-celled organism that inhabits water and soil
LVP
(Large Volume Parenteral) - IV solutions of more than 250 ml that may contain medications, nutrients, or electrolytes
bacterium
a small, single-celled micro-organism that can exist in three main forms, depending on type: spherical (i.e, cocci), rod-shaped (i.e., bacilli), and spiral (i.e., spirochetes)
HEPA
(high-efficiency particulate airflow) a device used to filter over 99% of particulate matter from the air to establish an aseptic environment in which to prepare CSPs
macrodrip IV tubing
IV tubing sets that have a sufficient diameter to deliver !), 15, 20 per ml (10 gtts/ml) used for adult patients
sepsis
when an infection is so threatening to the body that the immune system begins to attack the body’s own blood vessels and organs causing inflammation, leaky vessels organ failure, and septic shock
superbugs
bacteria that are resistant to antibiotic therapies
buffer room
an ISO Class 7 or cleaner area where the PECs are physically located; also called the IV or cleanroom
horizontal laminar air flow workbench
(H-LAFW) also known as a laminar hood, a PEC (with an ISO Class 5 air quality in its DCA) used to prepare IV drug admixtures, nutrition solutions, and other parenteral products aseptically
microdrip IV tubing
IV tubing sets that have a smaller diameter and provide smaller drops and more drops per ml, such as 60 gtts/ml, used for pediatric patients and others who need more gradual dosing
zone of turbulence
wherever the unidirectional filtered air meets resistance or blockage, particularly between the DCA and compounding technician; also the area at the edges of the compounding counter where the horizontal airflow meets the buffer room air
primary tubing
IV tubing that is attached to the primary IV bag of solution
clean room
an ISO-classified room ( or two-room configuration of a cleanroom area) in which the concentration of airborne particles is controlled to meet a specified airborne-particulate cleanliness class to prevent particle and microbial contamination of CSPs; also called the IV room or buffer room
injection port
a connector on the IV tubing that allows the injection of IV fluid or medication other than that in the current IC bag to be infused into the patient’s vein
phlebitis
an inflammation of the vein from the administration of drugs
bacterium
a small, single-celled micro-organism that can exist in three main forms, depending on type: spherical (cocci), rod-shaped (bacilli), and spiral (spirochetes)
secondary tubing
IV tubing for another medication that is attached to the primary tubing at a Y-site injection port