Nursing Diagnosis for Phlebitis

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Hello everyone! This is my first post and I'm so glad to have found this forum!I'm in my 2nd semester of clinicals and I also work as an SNE.

My patient from yesterday had an IV infiltrate, and I really think that should be one of my diagnoses, but I can't find one that is appropriate. My instructor had me chart is as Stage I Phlebitis, but when I research phlebitis, it is listed separately from infiltration, and he did not have any signs of phlebitis. I believe the catheter simply slipped out of the vein (he was a very mobile patient). His hand and arm were very swollen and tight, but that resolved with warm compresses.

Anyhow, this is a care plan week, so I have to go even further with it, which won't be a problem once I figure out where to start. Impaired Comfort related to tissue trauma secondary to phlebitis? He wasn't really in a lot of pain from it, but he was complaining. Is impaired comfort the only real problem with this infiltration? I d/c'd the site and started a new one.

Thanks for your thoughts!

So wierd. I just recently had phlebitis in my arm and it hurt for 1 month. I had a sort of homan's sign too. I was treated with Naproxen and in the beginning, painkillers. A real nuisance. I had an ultrasound to rule out DVT and it came back negative like expected since rarely does superficial phlebitis progress so far in the arm.

Specializes in ED.
Hello everyone! This is my first post and I'm so glad to have found this forum!I'm in my 2nd semester of clinicals and I also work as an SNE.

My patient from yesterday had an IV infiltrate, and I really think that should be one of my diagnoses, but I can't find one that is appropriate. My instructor had me chart is as Stage I Phlebitis, but when I research phlebitis, it is listed separately from infiltration, and he did not have any signs of phlebitis. I believe the catheter simply slipped out of the vein (he was a very mobile patient). His hand and arm were very swollen and tight, but that resolved with warm compresses.

Anyhow, this is a care plan week, so I have to go even further with it, which won't be a problem once I figure out where to start. Impaired Comfort related to tissue trauma secondary to phlebitis? He wasn't really in a lot of pain from it, but he was complaining. Is impaired comfort the only real problem with this infiltration? I d/c'd the site and started a new one.

Thanks for your thoughts!

I think that is definatly one that I would use but more importantly, think of the tissue perfusion. Swollen arm and hand, compressing on arteries, veins, and cappillaries. Maybe something like this:

"Risk for altered tissue perfusion r/t IV infiltration as evidenced by swollen (right or left) arm and client expressing discomfort" or something to that effect.

Then I would come out with the pain issue.

Specializes in Nursing Education.

I agree with altered or potential for altered tissue perfusion related to compartment or potential compartment syndrome related to IV infilration.

Thank you so much for your input. It really helped. I had two health histories, one care plan, and a case study to do this weekend. Also, I have a quiz Monday and a test Tuesday. I am down to working on the care plan portion of the health history and then tomorrow I'll get to study for the test.

Specializes in Trauma ICU, MICU/SICU.

Risk for infection r/t infiltrated IV.

Pain r/t infiltrated iv aeb grimacing, patient's statement of pain of 6/10.

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