IV question!

[rebecca12]

I am a nursing student with a few questions about IVs. I am about to be a senior and we still haven't really covered how to use IVs. I work at a hospital now and have been more exposed to them so I had a few questions. When an IV is turned off does air still flow through it? For example: an IV is finished and it beeps saying "air in line", a new IV bag is spiked but the IV channel is turned off. Will air flow into the IV? Thanks for your answers.

[iluvivt, BSN, RN]

That depends upon how the IVF or medication is being administered...is this by gravity or by a volumetric infusion pump? If you are using a pump and the tubing is still threaded into the pump..when you turn the pump OFF..it will no longer be able to pump in the prescribed IV fluids or medications. Modern pumps have anti free flow mechanisms and air alarms to prevent free flow and air pumped into the vein to occur. When an air alarm occurs during the infusion and the alarm is enabled the problem needs to be corrected before the infusion can be resumed. However, if you shut the pump OFF and leave the tubing connected to your VAD (venous access device) the odds are your VAD will back up with blood and clot off...so the tubing should be disconnected from the VAD and the VAD flushed. Are you concerned about an air embolus? if so I can give you some tips to prevent this.