Administering fluids

You can administer and manage fluids from the MAR Medicines Administration Record, also called drug chart: a list of all medications prescribed and administered. of Nervecentre for desktop, or the Chart of Nervecentre for mobile. The steps for administering fluids are similar to those for administering other medications, for example, the five rights.

Read about administering medications

Administering fluids on a mobile

  1. From your patient list, select a patient.

  2. Select Chart, and select a due fluid from Fluids.

  3. Select Due.

  4. To prepare and start an infusion as separate steps, select Prepare infusion, prepare the infusion, then select the fluid again and select Start infusion.

    Or

    To prepare and start an infusion in a single step, select Prepare and start.

Follow these steps for fluids and continuous infusions.

  1. From your patient list, select a patient.

  2. Select Chart, and select a fluid showing In progress from Fluids, or select a continuous infusion showing In progress from Continuous Infusions.

  3. Select the active fluid.

    Active fluids show a blue background and display start time and rate information.

  4. Select an option.

    • To change the rate, select Change rate.

    • To change a bag or syringe, select Change syringe/bag.

    • To pause the fluid, select Pause infusion.

    • To resume the fluid, select Resume infusion.

  1. To start a continuous infusion, from your patient list, select a patient.

  2. Select Chart, and select a due infusion from Continuous Infusions.

  3. Select Due.

  4. To prepare and start an infusion as separate steps, select Prepare infusion, prepare the infusion, then select the cell again and select Start infusion.

    Or

    To prepare and start an infusion in a single step, select Prepare and start.

  5. Enter the dose rate, confirm, and complete the administration form.

Administering fluids on a desktop

Prescriptions for fluids appear on the MAR Medicines Administration Record, also called drug chart: a list of all medications prescribed and administered., under Fluids.

Select a cell showing Due and select an option from the menu. Options can include:

  • Prepare infusion: the medication is witnessed and set-up, but not started.

  • Prepare and start: the medication can be witnessed, set-up and started in one action. This is the most-used function.

  • Start infusion: to start a prepared infusion.

  • Confirm started retrospectively: to retrospectively mark a fluid as started.

  • Confirm given retrospectively: to retrospectively mark a fluid as administered.

  • Record adverse event: to record an adverse event.

Fluids appear on the MAR Medicines Administration Record, also called drug chart: a list of all medications prescribed and administered., under Fluids.

  1. To pause or change the rate of an infusion, from the MAR, find the fluid you want to pause or change.

    The active fluid shows as a blue cell and displays .

  2. Select under the cell showing the active fluid.

  3. Select an option from the list.

    Volume and duration are not interconnected. The original duration is shown if the rate is changed.

  4. To change the rate, enter the new rate, add a note if required, and select Submit.

  5. To resume the infusion or record the infusion as stopped early, select under the cell showing the active or paused fluid. Select Resume infusion or Stopped early.

Fluids appear on the MAR Medicines Administration Record, also called drug chart: a list of all medications prescribed and administered., under Fluids.

All fluids must be stopped manually.

To stop a fluid, double-click a fluid that is showing In progress in State.

  1. To stop an infusion, from the MAR, find the fluid you want to pause or change.

    The active fluid shows as a blue cell and displays .

  2. Select under the cell showing the active fluid.

  3. Select Completed to mark an infusion as completed, or Stopped early if the infusion was stopped before completion.

    If you select Stopped early, enter the volume given and any notes.

Stopped fluids remain on the MAR, but cannot be interacted with.

Variable rate infusions appear on the MAR, under Continuous Infusions. Rate advice appears under the fluid name.

  1. To start a variable rate infusion, select Due > Prepare and start.

  2. Enter the dose rate, confirm, and complete the administration form.

    When a variable rate infusion has been started, is shown in the administration cell.

  3. To change the rate, change the syringe or bag presently or retrospectively, pause the infusion, or stop the infusion, select and then select an option.

    Read more about making changes