Chapter 8. Intravenous Therapy Show
Primary and secondary IV tubing and add-on devices (extension tubing) must be primed with IV solution to remove air from the tubing. Priming refers to placing IV fluid in IV tubing to remove all air prior to attaching the IV tube to the patient. IV tubing is primed to prevent air from entering the circulatory system. An air embolism is a potential complication of IV therapy and can enter a patient’s blood system through cut tubing, unprimed IV tubing, access ports, and drip chambers with too little fluid (Perry et al., 2018). It is unknown how much air will cause death, but deaths have been reported with as little as 10 ml of air. The best way to avoid air bubbles in IV tubing is to prevent them in the first place (Perry et al., 2018). New IV tubing may also be required if leaking occurs around the tube connecting to the IV solution, if the tubing becomes damaged, or if it becomes contaminated. Checklist 66 outlines the process of priming IV tubing.
Watch the video Priming IV Lines developed by Renée Anderson and Wendy McKenzie TRU School of Nursing (2018). IV solutions are considered sterile for 24 hours. An IV solution may be changed if the physician’s order changes, if an IV solution has been running slowly and has been hanging for 24 hours, or if the IV solution becomes contaminated. To change an IV solution bag, follow Checklist 67.
Watch the video Changing IV bags developed by Renée Anderson and Wendy McKenzie TRU School of Nursing (2018) Checklist 68 describes how to change the IV administration set and IV solution at the same time.
Critical Thinking Exercises
What will the nurse do to prevent possible complications after removing an IV access device?Instruct the patient to report immediately any sign of bleeding on the site dressing.. Perform hand hygiene and wear clean gloves while removing the device.. Which action would the nurse take if an intravenous insertion site appeared red warm and swollen?An IV site that is red, warm and swollen suggests phlebitis or infection and the IV catheter must be removed to prevent further damage to the patient's arm.
How would the infusion of intravenous IV fluids be affected if the tubing were unintentionally dislodged from the chamber of the control mechanism of the IV pump?How would the infusion of intravenous (IV) fluids be affected if the tubing were unintentionally dislodged from the chamber of the control mechanism of the electronic infusion device (EID)? The infusion would slow to a “keep vein open” rate.
How do you keep an IV line sterile?These conditions should include: 1) covering the exposed end of IV tubing used for intermittent infusions with a sterile cap between uses, and 2) disinfecting the port before connecting tubing or a syringe to the port.
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