Butterfly

On my first day of clinical, I ran into a client who had an inoperable bowel obstruction, of which the cause was not one hundred percent known, but it was suspected that the metastases from her ovarian cancer had likely gotten bigger or spread to her bowels. There was an order for octreotide, a somatostatin analog that is used for the treatment of symptoms related to inoperable bowel obstruction (in this case) (RxList, 2011). In cases in which clients need to be given many injections of the same drug, an intermittent butterfly infusion device makes it possible to use one site for multiple injections (Hanks, 2001). I was asked to insert the butterfly, and to administer the ocretotide subcutaneously.
First of all, the intermittent butterfly has many benefits for the client. One of the many benefits is for the comfort of the client (Hanks, 2001; WHO Pain and Palliative Care Communications Program, 2003). There are many clients who have to receive multiple injections in a day, oftentimes (especially in palliative care) every hour or two to keep on top of symptoms such as pain. It would not be very comfortable or relaxing to be jabbed by ten needles per day, when it is possible to just insert one butterfly device per different medication, and use a port to administer the medication. Some medications may still burn a little, but at least the client does not have to deal with the pain of multiple injections. Octerotide, in particular, is stored in the refrigerator, and I read in my medication research that the subcutaneous injection is less painful if the solution is warmed to room temperature. I let the medication warm to room temperature before administering it via intermittent butterfly. Comfort is important and one of the goals with all clients, but especially in palliative care (Clarke, 2010).
Other benefits of the intermittent butterfly include venous access not being required, ambulation not being affected, and infection being unlikely if proper infection... [continues]

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