Are Ampules Still Used?

[EMTIsee]

Hello, all my brothers and sisters of EMS. It's a known fact by now my service is very different than most. Now we are starting to carry morphine and epi ampules. This seems outdated to me does anyone else still use them?

 

[Ewok Jerky]

Yes.

 

[EMT11KDL]

Yes, Ampules are cheaper and that is why a lot of agencies use them.

 

[chaz90]

No. We don't use them for anything fortunately. Just pre-fills and vials for us.

 

[Tigger]

We have ampules for our 1:000 epi as another safeguard to ensure that the correct concentration is given. I'm not sure how I feel about this reasoning, though I don't find them too terrible to use. Sometimes our Haldol comes ampules as well. If it's back-ordered we take what we can get.

 

[Angel]

our epi 1:1000 comes in ampules as well

 

[TransportJockey]

We carry Epi 1:1000 in amps, but we also carry the 30ml vial of 1:1000, so the amps get used very very infrequently.

 

[DesertMedic66]

We carry Epi 1:1000 in amps, but we also carry the 30ml vial of 1:1000, so the amps get used very very infrequently.

This.

 

[Altitudes]

Service I work for uses 30mL vials for epi. Toss 'em after one use. A waste, but it's still cheaper than the pens.

 

[NomadicMedic]

No. We don't use them for anything fortunately. Just pre-fills and vials for us.

Uhh... Fentanyl, haldol and adenosine are a few of the ampules that are often in the gear. For the longest time, all of the Fent at 108 was in ampules. (Thanks Milford!) The new place has ampules of 1:1000 epi in ampules, with a 1cc syringe taped to it.

 

[chaz90]

Uhh... Fentanyl, haldol and adenosine are a few of the ampules that are often in the gear. For the longest time, all of the Fent at 108 was in ampules. (Thanks Milford!) The new place has ampules of 1:1000 epi in ampules, with a 1cc syringe taped to it.

Ahh. I forgot about the occasional Fentanyl ampules. I haven't actually seen Haldol or Adenosine in ampules. Clearly I don't make it up to Milford often enough. Good catch!

 

[VFlutter]

Fentanyl and Digoxin are common ones for me

 

[TransportJockey]

Oh my levophed comes in amps too

 

[Gurby]

Fentanyl and Digoxin are common ones for me

Are you an RN in hospital? Or are you giving digoxin in the field?

 

[medicsb]

My last 911 job had etomidate in ampules due to a shortage of vials. Those things could have doubled as beer bottles. I usually had no problems with ampules until recently when I was setting up for an LP and managed the break the top half of the ampule and rain small shards of glass all over the kit.

 

[Anjel]

All of our fentanyl

 

[DesertMedic66]

Our Fentanyl was supposed to be in ampules, however all of times I have seen it it's always in vials

 

[Clare]

All of our parenteral drugs come in ampoulees and snapoules. Enteral medicines such as aspirin, tramadol, paracetamol etc. come in tablet form.

 

[DesertMedic66]

How many of you guys are using filtered needles/filter sets to draw up meds from the ampules?

In the counties in my area we do not use filtered needles/sets to draw them up. However most of the hospitals in our area do use them.

 

[Carlos Danger]

I was setting up for an LP and managed the break the top half of the ampule and rain small shards of glass all over the kit.

I did the same exact thing just yesterday, as I was getting ready to put a spinal in. I wasn't the first time, either.