Page 220 - Zoo Animal Learning and Training

204 Tasks for the Veterinary Assistant

the seal on the needle, set it down or tuck it between
your ring finger and little finger with the top up so the
syringe doesn’t fall out. Use your index fingers and
thumbs to break the seal on the needle by holding the
long part of the needle between the fingers of one hand
and twisting the short top with the others. Be careful not
to touch the hub with your fingers or hand. Pick up the
syringe case and turn it so as it drops you can catch the
plunger end with your fingers. Be careful not to touch
the tip of the syringe with your bare hand or fingers.
Hold the needle between your index finger and thumb
and carefully slide the tip of the syringe into the needle
hub. Leave the cap on the needle at this point.

Solution Bottle Preparation FIGURE 11.30 Inserting a needle into a bottle.

If using a multiple sample bottle, a bottle that will be
used on multiple patients, it is good practice to swab
the rubber stopper top of the solution vial or bottle
with an alcohol‐soaked cotton ball. The only exception
would be if it is a single‐dose vial that has come right
out of the storage container or if the solution in the
bottle is a modified or live vaccine. It should say on the
bottle or box.
Remove the needle cap and draw an amount of air
into the syringe equal to the amount of solution to be
withdrawn from the vial. With the bevel of the needle
pointing up, you should be able to see the lumen. Pick
up the bottle with your non‐dominant hand and hold it
with the stopper pointing down (Figure 11.30). Insert
the needle through the rubber stopper with a slight
backward pressure on the beveled side of the needle to
prevent coring of the rubber stopper. Always try to center
the needle in the top of the stopper. Continue to hold FIGURE 11.31 Ridding the syringe of air bubbles.
the bottle upside down so the solution falls into the immediately on the patient. Patient name, drug, and
center. Depress the plunger to inject the air into the vial. route should be listed on the tape and put in a spot that
This prevents pressure from building up in the bottle doesn’t cover the graduations. If you must, tear the tape
which in time will make the solution shoot out of the vial in half lengthwise to give you a thinner piece. A second
through the holes in the rubber stopper. To withdraw technique is to mark the barrel opposite of the gradua-
the solution, pull down on the plunger drawing the fluid tions with a permanent marker.
into the syringe. Draw a milliliter or more solution than
you need in order to help eliminate air bubbles. Hold
the inverted bottle between your index finger and Preparing Vaccines
thumb, let the syringe rest against the ball of your palm
(Figure 11.31). Then eliminate large air bubbles by Some vaccines come as a powder and need to be recon-
tapping or flicking the syringe with your other fingers to stituted with a diluent which can be sterile water or a
make them rise toward the tip of the syringe. Slowly liquid vaccine that is formulated to be mixed with the
depress the plunger to inject the air bubbles and excess powder (Figure 11.32). The most common of these are
solution back into the bottle until you reach the proper the feline and canine distemper vaccines. They are pack-
dosage of medication as prescribed by the veterinarian. aged in trays with one powder for every one diluent.
Withdraw the needle from the vial and recap the needle Always read the packaging to make sure you are getting
by sliding the needle into the cap lying on the table. the appropriate vaccine for each species.
Never pick the cap up to recap the needle, this is to avoid Assemble a needle and syringe, gather one of each
being inadvertently poked by the needle. Label the vial. Insert the needle into the diluent bottle just inside
syringe with a piece of tape if it’s not going to be used the stopper in order to aspirate all the fluid, there should