Comparison of six methods of preparing piggyback doses of cephalothin sodium

Labor, equipment, and materials costs for six methods of reconstituting cephalothin sodium piggyback doses (System 1--Pharm-Aid Fluid Dispensing System + manufacturer's bottle; System 2--transfer unit + manufacturer's bottle; System 3--pressure infuser + manufacturer's bottle; System 4--gravity flow + manufacturer's bottle; System 5--transfer needle + partial-fill bottle; and System 6--Pharm-Aide Fluid Dispensing System + partial-fill bottle) were compared. Individual 2-g doses of cephalothin were prepared in batches of 20 doses by a technician. Times for assembling equipment and supplies, reconstituting and transferring the antibiotic, and fitting the container with protective caps were measured five times for each system. Mean total personnel time was lowest for System 2 and highest for System 5. Pull-tab caps (Burron) were fitted more quickly than were caps with the peel-around design (Cutter). System 3 had the lowest material cost followed in order by Systems 4, 1, 2, 5 and 6. Labor costs did not influence the rank order established by material costs. Systems 3 and 4 were preferred because they required the least manipulation and were lowest in total expense.