What's the Best IV Size and Site?

[Music in My Heart]

When I teach IV skills to students and residents, I always start with this question: "What's the best size and site for an IV?"

I generally get myriad answers that involve considerations of c/c, VS, etc... and people generally want to go with 18s out of the gate.

My response to the question, though, is, "In an emergency, the best line is the line you can get... even with a 24 in the thumb, I can push ACLS drugs and RSI drugs and buy us time to get a more definitive line."

Don't become dogmatic in your approach to securing venous access.

[VANurse2010]

My workplace only supplies us with 18 gauge, 20 gauge and 22 gauge IV lines. We do not carry the 24 gauge catheters since we do not deal with pediatric patient populations, nor do we stock anything larger than the 18 gauge.

So unless we're planning to administer blood products, we are free to select whatever size we wish to pick. Per our facility policy, we are to utilize nothing smaller than a 20 gauge line when administering blood products.

Of course, follow your policy, but PRBCs will infuse just fine through a 22.

[OhioCCRN, MSN, NP]

I just had a moment! lol, I never thought about the baby and PRBC thing! My facility is all over the #20g business (back when i was in medsurg) but in our SICU, EVERYBODY gets lined (CVC) immediately which is awesome!