Intravenous Therapy

Marjorie Wiltshire, RN
 :OBJECTIVES
Define key terms related to intravenous therapy.
Demonstrate the procedure for IV insertion,
conversion to a saline lock,
administration of IV fluids, discontinuation of the
IV
Identify possible complications of intravenous
therapy and nursing interventions to treat each.
Describe the nursing care of a patient that has a
saline lock, a continuous IV infusion, and
intermittent IV medication administration.
 Purpose of IV therapy
Provide fluid and electrolyte maintenance,
restoration, and replacement
Administer medication and nutritional feedings
Administer blood and blood products
Administer chemotherapy to cancer patients
Administer patient-controlled analgesics
Keep a vein open for quick access
 Intravenous access devices
1. Peripheral catheter.
2. Peripherally inserted central catheter
PICC.
3. Central line.
4. Subcutaneous injection port.
 Peripheral catheter
This is the most common intravenous access method in
both hospitals and pre-hospital services. A peripheral IV
line consists of a short catheter (a few centimeters long)
inserted through the skin into a peripheral vein (any vein
that is not inside the chest or abdomen). This is usually
in the form of a cannula-over-needle device, in which a
flexible plastic cannula comes mounted on a needle. Any
accessible vein can be used although arm and hand
veins are used most commonly, with leg and foot veins
used to a much lesser extent. On infants the scalp veins
are sometimes used.
Peripheral catheter
 Peripheral catheter
The caliber of cannula is commonly indicated in gauge,
with 14 being a very large cannula (used in resuscitation
settings) and 24-26 the smallest. The most common
sizes are 16-gauge (midsize line used for blood donation
and transfusion), 18- and 20-gauge (all-purpose line for
infusions and blood draws), and 22-gauge (all-purpose
pediatric line). 12- and 14-gauge peripheral lines actually
deliver equivalent volumes of fluid faster than central
lines, accounting for their popularity in emergency
medicine. These lines are frequently called "large bores"
or "trauma lines".
 IV site assessment
Note the location (hand, wrist, forearm, antecubital fossa?).
Site should be visually inspected and palpated every 2hr.
The IV site should be free of redness, swelling, tenderness.
The IV dressing should be clean and secure.

For adults, change catheter and rotate site

every 48 - 72 hours. Replace catheters
inserted under emergency conditions
within 24 hours.
 Complications
Infiltration:
Assessment
Swelling
Pallor
Coolness
Discomfort
Sluggish flow

Intervention
Stop IV infusion immediately and remove IV Catheter
Elevate Extremity
If noticed within 30 minutes of onset, apply ice to the site (this will decrease
inflammation)
If noticed later then 30 minutes of onset apply warm compress (this will encourage
absorption)
Notify Supervisor/Physician as per individual hospital policy
Document findings and actions
Restart IV in an alternative location (opposite extremity if possible)
 Complications
Plebitis
Assessment
Redness
Swelling
Warmth
Pain along vein route
Vein is hard cordlike
IV may be sluggish

Interventions
Stop IV infusion immediately and remove IV Catheter
Elevate Extremity
If noticed within 30 minutes of onset, apply ice to the site (this will decrease inflammation)
If noticed later then 30 minutes of onset apply warm compress (this will encourage absorption)
Notify Supervisor/Physician as per individual hospital policy
Document findings and actions
Restart IV in an alternative location (opposite extremity if possible)
 Complications
Infection - Local, Systemic
Assessment
Redness, swelling, pain at site
Pus at site
Fever, chills

Interventions
Prevention!! Adhere to policy for site change and site
care.
Use appropriate technique for IV starts and site care.
Once it occurs, involve physician, discontinue IV and
Rx infection per physician order
 Complications
(systemic)
Air embolus:
Signs and Symptoms of Air Embolism include:
Abrupt drop in blood pressure
Weak, rapid pulse
Cyanosis
Chest Pain
Immediate corrective action for suspected Air Embolism includes:
Notify Supervisor and Physician immediately
Immediately place patient on left side with feet elevated (this allows
pulmonary artery to absorb small air bubbles)
Administer O2 if necessary
Preventive Measures to avoid Air Embolism includes:
Clear all air from tubing before attaching it to the patient
Monitor solution levels carefully and change bag before it becomes empty
Frequently check to assure that all connections are secure
 Complications
(systemic)
speed shock
a sudden adverse physiologic reaction to IV medications or drugs
that are administered too quickly.
Some signs of speed shock are a flushed face, headache, a tight
feeling in the chest, irregular pulse, loss of consciousness, and
cardiac arrest.
Nursing interventions: notify physician immediately, patent IV for
fluids, reversal, emergency equipment and monitoring.
 Six Rights of IV Fluid
Administration

Right Patient: treat as any drug, use MAR for

accuracy in administration
Right Drug: solution for IVs
Right Dose: consider w/time, Amount of IV
solution to hang
Right Time: rate of solution administration
Right Route: specific order for IV admin
Right Documentation: Always!!!!
 IV FLUIDS
The Three Types of Intravenous Fluids are:
Hypertonic solutions - Any solution that has a higher
osmotic pressure than another solution (that is, has a
higher concentration of solutes than another solution),
which means it draws fluid out of the cell and into the
extra-cellular space.
Hypotonic solutions - Any solution that has a lower
osmotic pressure than another solution (that is, has a
lower concentration of solutes than another solution),
which means it pushes fluid into the cell.
Isotonic solutions - Any solution that has the same
osmotic pressure than another solution (that is, has the
same concentration of solutes than another solution),
which means it does not draw or push fluid into the cell.
 Commonly Used Intravenous
Solutions:
Normal saline solution (NS, 0.9% NaCl)
Isotonic solution (contains same amounts
of sodium and chloride found in plasma). It
contains 90 grams of sodium chloride per
100 ml of water. It is indicated for use in
conjunction with blood transfusions and for
restoring the loss of body fluids.
 Commonly Used Intravenous
Solutions:
Ringer's Solution or Lactated Ringer's (LR)
Isotonic solution (replaces electrolytes in
amounts similarly found in plasma). It
contains sodium chloride, potassium
chloride, calcium chloride, and sodium
lactate. It is indicated for use as the choice
for burn patients, and in most cases of
dehydration. It is also recommended for
supportive treatment of trauma.
 Commonly Used Intravenous
Solutions:
Five percent dextrose and water (D5W) -
Isotonic solution (after administration and
metabolism of the glucose; D5W becomes
a hypotonic solution). It contains 5 grams
of dextrose per 100 ml of water. It is
indicated for use as a calorie replacement
solution and in cases where glucose is
needed for metabolism purposes.
 Commonly Used Intravenous
Solutions:
Normal Saline Solution Hypotonic
solution that pushes fluid from the
extracellular space into the cell. Watch if
given to patients with increased ICP i.e.
stroke, head trauma or neurosurgery.
 Methods of Intravenous
Administration

IV push
Intermittent venous access device
Intermittent infusion (or piggyback)
Continuous infusion
Electronic pumps and controllers
Patient-controlled analgesia
 Saline lock
Protocol:
Flush before and after each use
Flush every shift
Flush PRN
Basic IV Fluid set up
 IV tubing
Microdrip:an apparatus for delivering relatively small
measured amounts of IV solutions at specific flow rates
over time, as when it is necessary to keep a vein open.
The size of the drops is controlled by the fixed diameter
of the plastic delivery tube. With a microdrip, 60 drops
delivers 1 mL of solution.
Macrodrip: an apparatus that is used to deliver
measured amounts of IV solutions at specific flow rates
based on the size of drops of the solution. The size of
the drops is controlled by the fixed diameter of a plastic
delivery tube. Different macrodrips deliver 10, 15, or 20
drops per milliliter of solution.
 General guidelines for tubing
Change IV tubing, including piggyback
tubing, no more frequently than at 72 hour
intervals.
Change tubing used for blood or blood
products within 24 hours of completing
infusion.
Do not leave TPN fluids hanging more
than 24 hours

***Morningside Ministries policy is to change the tubing every 24 hours***

 Nursing assessment for fluid volume deficit and fluid
volume overload during IV therapy include:

FVD (Fluid Volume Deficit)

Dry Skin (Capillary refill > 3 seconds)
Elevated or Subnormal Temperature
Thirst
Dry Mucus Membranes
Decreased Urine Output
Soft Sunken Eyeballs ( > then 10% loss of total body fluid volume decreases
intraocular pressure and cause eyes to appear to be sunken in)
Decrease Tearing and Salivating
Hypotension
FVO (Fluid Volume Overload)
Pitting Edema (1+ - 4+)
Puffy Eyelids
Acute weight gain
Elevated blood pressure
Bounding pulse
Dyspnea and shortness of breath (Usually first sign)
Ascites or third spacing
 Other nursing assessment observations that are
important during IV therapy include:

Close monitoring of weight gain/loss

Accurate I and O (normal urine output is approximately 1
Ml / Kg of body wt. per hour)
Assessing for signs of edema (skin that is tight and
shiny)
Assessing for skin turgor that when pinched takes longer
then 3 seconds to return to normal.
Assessing lung sounds (crackles will be heard with FVO)
Notification to physician if urine output is < 30cc for two
consecutive hours
Monitor sodium and hematocrit levels
 Critical Elements

Assess IV site every two hours and prn.

Verify patency.
Observe the Six Rights of IV fluid administration.
Prime tubing, clearing air.
Identify tubing parts that are to remain sterile and
maintain sterility.
Apply principles of sterile technique throughout
procedure.
Document tubing change and site care.
Secures IV catheter with sterile dressing per agency
policy.
 IV drip rate calculation
Calculate an IV drip rate based on the volume of fluid to be
infused over time:

Gtt/min=volume to be infused(mL) x drop factor(gtt/mL)

time (minutes)

Calculate an IV drip rate for a medication that is administered

based on a specific dosage to be infused per minute:

Gtt/min=dosage per minute to be administered x drop factor

concentration of medication per mL
 Review
IV site changed every 72 hours routinely
IV tubing changed every 24 hours routinely
Nurse may attempt IV only twice before seeking
another nurse to attempt starting IV
IV push medications are not routinely performed
in MSM skilled facilities
All nurses upon employment must complete IV
competency training and be skill checked with
1st IV start with a resident by a nurse who is
authorized to observe.