# 40. How to Administer IV Antibiotics through a PICC Line.
Only 5 percent of RNs give the entire dose of IV antibiotics.
Many PICC lines don't allow free flow, so if you're only using one IV tubing set, RNs will have to use a flush bag to create pressure, to empty the IV tubing and to give the full dose of medication.
As to using 2 IV tubing sets, nursing instructors and textbooks fail to guide students or nurses on how to program an IV pump to give the entire dose of IV antibiotics. Hospitals typically "insist" that RNs do not change the IV pumps pre-set VTBIs...threatening to fire you if you program enough VTBI to actually give the full dose of medication.
Nurses must program the IV pump with sufficient "volume to be infused" to empty all of the antibiotic out of the IV tubing. A good starting point is to use Holt's 30 CC Rule...program the VTBI for at least 30 CC or 30 milliliters more than is in the antibiotic bag.
See Chapter One of "7 IV antibiotic Mistakes" by David Holt.