RN Exam Practice
Pharmacological and Parenteral TherapiesQuestion 1715 of 2368

Why does the nurse piggyback a secondary antibiotic into the primary IV line instead of running it as a primary fluid?

  1. The primary fluid primes the tubing, so no medication is lost
  2. The antibiotic runs faster through primary tubing
  3. The primary line must be changed every dose
  4. The drip chamber is not needed for a secondary bag
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Correct answer: The primary fluid primes the tubing, so no medication is lost

Priming secondary tubing with primary fluid avoids losing medication. Lost medication means the client gets less than prescribed, which is a medication error.

Source: Nursing Skills, 2nd edition (Open RN, Chippewa Valley Technical College, 2023), IV Therapy Management: IV Administration Equipment. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Practice the topic "Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies"

Questions last reviewed: 18 October 2026