[ann5529]

I'm a first semester nursing student who needs help. Will someone please explain to me what an atrioventricular cannulae is and why streptokinase is used to treat it? Thanks so much!

[EricEnfermero]

Cannulae would be more than one cannula. A cannula is some sort of tube usually (nasal cannula for oxygen, a urinary or IV catheter, etc).

I've never heard of an atrioventricular cannula, but you may be referring to an arteriovenous cannula, a form of venous access used in dialysis. If that cannula were to become occluded, streptokinase would be a medication used to clear the line.

[Miami NightNurse]

Are you sure you got that spelled that correctly? atrioventricular cannulae? I looked it up in Google and found nothing. I think what Eric said above makes the most sense, but then you'd be talking about a arteriovenous fistula. A atrioventricular fistula is a fistula between an atrium and a ventricle of the heart. And a Cannulae is more than one cannula/tube. So I'm confused

[ann5529]

Thanks for trying to help....surely I misunderstood my professor since no one is able to find anything about it!