We’ve been using PhaSeal for vincristine and doxo preps, but we’ve had occasional luer seepage during priming — about 1 in 20 sets — and even a near-miss last Tuesday that shook our team. For those using Equashield or Halo, have you seen fewer leaks and easier handling for smaller hands, without slowing treatment time or compromising patient and staff safety?
We switched to Equashield after a couple “1 in 20” PhaSeal luer weeps — — and it’s been easier for our smaller hands with no hit to prep time. The one change that mattered most was using their low‑profile syringe unit plus a short spinning‑luer extension and priming into a chemo pad first, which took our leaks to zero. Halo felt stiffer at the septum and slowed doxo a bit; if you stay with PhaSeal, consider the Optima refresh and check against the NIOSH vapor protocol: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2016-102/pdfs/2016-102.pdf — did that near-miss last Tuesday happen during syringe-to-line engagement?
With Equashield we cut out the luer seepage by priming with the syringe vertical and twisting into the adaptor until I feel the ‘second click,’ then waiting a beat before opening flow. Only caveat: if the hub’s cold it feels grabby, so I warm it in my hand first to help the gasket seat cleanly.
I’ve had the same “1 in 20” PhaSeal weeps during priming, and on Halo the one change that stopped it was docking while holding a tiny negative pull on the plunger, then keeping the vent straight up for a two-count before opening — no leak and no extra time for our smaller-handed techs. Only caveat: the Halo vial adaptor is bulkier, so we stick to the 13 mm adaptor on small vials to keep the grip manageable. Did the “near-miss last Tuesday” happen during the initial flush or when backing out of the adaptor?