A 3-way stop cock is used in conjunction with some other product during infusion therapy. A 3-way stop cock has intravenous sets, is sterile and ideal for single use. It has 2 female Luer ports and one male Luer lock. The three ports are capped, and the stop cock comes with coloured studs for coding purpose. In general, the taps in the stop cock are blue or red to indicate venous or arterial use. It can be used with intravenous and intra-arterial systems.
Handling 3-way Stopcock the Right Way
Let’s look at the right way of using a 3-way stopcock with the help of these four scenarios:
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Scenario 1
If the intravenous drip tube is connected to the Y-site injection port, but the direction of the three-way stopcock is not changed, it might stop the drug solution for some time.
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Scenario 2
If the patient-end of the three-way stop cock was turned off during a procedure, and not turned back after the later.
Handling the three-way stopcock
The right way to handle scenario 1 and scenario 2 is to check the position of the cock and ensure that the Y-site injection port is closed. If it is closed, the infusion fluid will not flow to the patient. There are usage scenarios where the healthcare provider has to check the positioning of the cock. They should confirm the flow of the drug solution every time use the stopcock.
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Scenario 3
A three-way stopcock had a plug/valve and IV drip tube connected to administer medicine. The plug is removed accidentally along with the IV drip tube and the patient’s blood starts leaking.
Handling the three-way stopcock
While removing the IV drip tube, never remove the plug/valve. Three-way stopcocks also come with an in-built plug/valve, so confirm if the stopcock has an inbuilt plug/valve.
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Scenario 4
Many three-way stopcocks are connected to the central venous catheter. But, the joints of three-way stopcocks loosen up and the blood and the fluid start leaking.
Handling the three-way stopcock
If multiple three-way stopcocks are connected, there is always a risk of loosening or breakage of the joint. Avoid connecting multiple stopcocks. However, if that’s not an option, check for loosening or shifting of the joints and fluid leakage at short intervals.
Other Things to Take Care of
In addition to handling the 3-way stopcock in the above-discussed scenarios, there are a few other things that healthcare practitioners should take care of. Never rotate the stopcock for more than 180° because the cock might lift up and lead to leakage of the drug solution.
When buying three-way stopcocks, pay attention to the design and quality of the product. You can trust HMD Healthcare with their three-way stopcocks. These are made using lipid-resistant material and are leak proof. Since the three-way stopcocks are transparent, it helps with better flow and visualisation. All the three-way stopcocks come with 5-year shelf life. So, next time when you are looking for premium quality three-way stopcocks and other medical equipment, check out HMD Healthcare.
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